Rich pickings for group promoting healthy diets (From Barry And District News)

Rich pickings for group promoting healthy diets

BARRY organisations were top of the class at the first ever awards ceremony for volunteers in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Overall winner was the Heart Gibbonsdown Community Food Co-operative, which also won the Algebra Award for New Organisation of the Year.

It has been open for only a year and was set up to improve families' diets. Each customer can buy a bag of vegetables or fruit for just 2. Christmas bags cost 5 and include lots of festive treats to go with the fresh produce.

The inaugural Vale voluntary sector awards were organised by the Vale Centre for Voluntary Services and took place on Monday, December 6, at the Memorial Hall, Barry.

Arfon Haines Davies from ITV Wales was compere for the ceremony and local singer/songwriter Martyn Joseph also added his support.

Eighty voluntary groups were nominated for the 10 award categories.

An independent judging panel comprised people from the business, public and voluntary sectors.

Other award winners were Cwm Talwg Woodlands Residents Group, Barry YMCA and Gibbonsdown Children's Centre.

Anne Evans, of the Heart of Gibbonsdown Community Food Co-operative, said: "It is great that we have been given this award. I am very pleased that our work has been recognised."

Another volunteer, Lesley Peterson, said: "It shows how appreciated we are by the community. I would like to thank our customers for showing faith in the group. This kind of service was not around when I was younger. We are giving the younger generation the chance to improve their diet."