Can-collecting Dorridge boy on £20k mission for food banks

Ryan says he wants to raise £20,000 to buy a truck full of food to help his local community

An 11-year-old boy who collects aluminium cans to raise money for food banks is aiming to raise £20,000 by Christmas for a truck full of food.

Ryan, from Dorridge, near Solihull, collects about 400 kilos of cans each month and sells them to scrapyards.

He has raised more than £1,000 since November but now wants to raise £20,000 by walking at least 5km (3miles) every week.

"Hopefully we will get to our target this Christmas," Ryan said.

He began collecting the cans around his neighbourhood after he spotted his parents changing their supermarket habits.

They told him it was due to the cost of living crisis and Ryan said he decided then to see how he could help others and found the cans idea online.

Ryan collects about 400 kilos of cans each month which he sells to scrapyards

From gathering the cans with his parents, he said he had grown the scheme to a network of 100 donators along with collections points across Birmingham and Solihull.

"I feel quite proud and also feel really excited to continue this because I just like the feeling of being the person that has helped," he said.

Discussions with those donating the cans led Ryan to decide to raise more money by buying a truck full of food at wholesale prices.

He has raised £500 since beginning his weekly walks in July and says he will keep going to his target even beyond Christmas as "if it doesn't work out, we will continue".

People can support him by finding his donation page online or contacting his family through his "We Can" Facebook group, he said.