BARRY Island Parkrun has this week teamed up with the Vale of Glamorgan Council in support of local charity the Vale Foodbank, to raise awareness and donations for the organisation.

This Saturday's parkrun, which has been taking place every weekend on Barry Island for the past two-and-a-half years, saw runners and volunteers donate food items to the charity to be distributed to those in need.

The idea stemmed from a suggestion by Vale council community investment and involvement officer Mark Ellis, a keen parkrunner, who wanted to find a way to promote such a positive cause.

Having decided to link his idea to the Barry Island parkrun, Mr Ellis and a few of his colleagues from Barry Communities First and Newydd Housing Association had the idea to complete the run dressed as various fruits and vegetable.

In return, parkunners on Saturday, December 2, donated more than 54kg of food items to the cause, which has since been distributed to the local foodbank centre at Coastlands Family Church.

Mr Ellis said: "I would like to say a massive thank you to Barry Island Parkrun for their support and for promoting the idea. I’d like to see the Foodbank Parkrun take place on an annual basis and who knows, next year we could have peas, tomatoes, oranges and pineapples taking part."

For more information on donating foodbank items, please contact Mark Ellis on 07826 020707 or email MarkEllis@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk