A nine-year-old boy has collected over £1,000 worth of food for a foodbank in Barry, made up of donations from friends, family and his school and sports teams. James Finlayson-Clements has been doing charity work since he was just three years old when he went on a Cancer Research fun run in memory of his grandfather.
For the past three years, he's been making donations to the Vale Foodbank in Barry. This year's haul is his biggest yet - with well-wishers donating around £500 directly and buying £500 worth of food for his cause.
James' mum Lisa said: "As soon as that calendar flips to November, it’s his mission to do this. He’s a typical lad who’s led by his belly, and the thought of coming home from school with no food to snack on really got to him - it’s now his annual mission.
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"In an ideal world, these donations wouldn't be needed. But in my eyes, we’ve got our own little Father Christmas here.
"James knows people are struggling financially and he was a bit fretful of how successful this year’s foodbank drive was going to be. But the community has just inundated us with donations.
"People may think there isn’t kindness but there’s so much kindness out there and we’ve got proof of that with two carloads of food for families who are struggling to decide whether to put heating on or feed their families."
This year's donations have come from friends and family, as well as the Wenvoe community, Gwenfo Church in Wales Primary School, and the two sports teams James plays for - Dinas Powys Football Club and the Penarth Bears rugby team.
James said he was "surprised" at the number of donations, but added: "I'm really happy that loads of people donated because they're thinking of people who don't have so much food. It's important to me, because we might have enough money but some people don't have that much and they could starve or go to hospital.
"I'm just really happy for other people to think of people who don't have that much. I would say people should definitely donate to a foodbank if they can." James' school give him the morning off every year so he can take his donations in to the foodbank. Lisa said that the family made a point of picking out a mix of essentials which could be used for cooking, and luxuries for Christmas like chocolates and bubble bath.
The foodbank knows to expect his call every year now, and the staff are always excited to see him. This year's food collection weighed a total 55st when it was taken in to be donated.
You can find the Vale Foodbank at The Gateway Centre, Tennyson Rd, Barry CF62 9TN.
