A RENTON youngster has raised hundreds of pounds for local services in Dumbarton and the Vale by exercising 5K every day during the month of June.

Cooper Grice from Renton has been running and cycling 5K every day to raise money as a thank you to local hubs and services that have felt pressure of the coronavirus pandemic.

He got inspiration for the idea from online videos of other people giving back to their community through fundraising.

Keen footballer Cooper has been part of the pro-youth set-up at Hamilton Accies FC for two years and saw this as an opportunity for him to keep fit while being stuck in lockdown.

His mum Cheryl said: “He wanted to do something that would give back to the community, but help him keep fit for when he is able to go back to play football.

“Although he decided it was a daily 5K target he always exceeds it and usually ends up doing around 15-20K.”

Cooper and his family set up a JustGiving page with a £100 target for the Vale of Leven Academy and St Michael’s Primary School hubs that look after the children of NHS and frontline workers.

Within days he had raised more than £600, which was then used to create eight ‘care boxes’ of coffee, tea, sweets, crisps and cakes which have been delivered to staff at local care homes, including Crosslet House in Dumbarton.

Last Thursday he donated a box to the officers at Dumbarton police station to say thanks for the hard work they do in helping to keep the local area safe.

Police Scotland’s area commander, Chief Inspector Scott Carlin, said: “We were very touched that Cooper chose Dumbarton police station to receive one of his boxes of sweets and I was delighted to meet Cooper in person and to thank him for his kind gesture.”

A spokeswoman for West Dunbartonshire Council, which runs Crosslet House, said: “Our dedicated staff at Crosslet House, and across all of our residential and care at homes services, are doing an exceptional job, providing vital care and supporting in these unprecedented times.

“We are hugely grateful to Cooper for his very kind gesture which is very much appreciated by everyone at the home.”

Cheryl continued: “He has done exceptionally well through all of this.

“I think he is happy that it has given him something to do rather than playing on his Playstation.

The local neighbours have been cheering him on. “Everyone has been very generous, especially with what everyone is trying to cope with just now.”

Cooper, who thanked everyone who donated to his fund-raising effort, had £100 left from donations once all the items for the care boxes were purchased.

He decided to use the left-over cash to buy food and other urgent supplies to donate to local food banks.