A GIANT advent calendar in reverse has been crafted with more than 200 items to help vulnerable people in the countdown to Christmas.

A reverse advent calendar encourages people to give, rather than receive, allowing students and staff at Coleg Llandrillo to create a package to donate to the Trussell Trust foodbank in Abergele.

Collecting one item each day throughout November, the Independent Living Skills department donated items including tins of beans, cat food and toiletries as well as some Christmas treats - equating to about £500 of goods.

Staff member, Cheryl Kersey-Brown, said: “Reverse advent calendars are a great idea, and yet another example of how communities are taking action to stop their neighbours going hungry.”

The Trussell Trust’s network of over 420 foodbanks operate out of more than 1,200 centres across the UK and provide a minimum of three days’ emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis. It sees a 45 percent spike in referrals for emergency food parcels in the two weeks running up to Christmas.

Despite receiving an initial request for 25 items, the student and staff of the department - which runs a number of courses for students with mild to moderate learning disabilities, severe learning disabilities and social and emotional behavioural difficulties - managed to support the trust with an impressive 200 items by the end of the task.

Ms Kersey-Brown, added: “We are absolutely overwhelmed and delighted by the response from staff at Coleg Llandrillo.

"What a brilliant effort to collect so many items. I am sure that they will be gratefully received, especially at this time of the year."