A FITNESS professional who traded his expertise for supplies for the needy this Christmas is thanking all those who made his appeal a success.

Broadheath personal trainer John Warburton, 28, pledged to support Stretford Foodbank with donations of food, nappies, shampoo and essentials during the festive season.

In a bid to maximise his donations, he offered personal training sessions in exchange for goods.

John reported an overwhelming response to the appeal, with 60-70 bags (five car loads) of donations handed in at his place of work, Anytime Fitness, in Urmston, as well as £80 in cash.

He said: "I would like to thank the generous residents of Urmston and the local area for their kindness over the Christmas period by donating so much.

“I was genuinely blown away by the amount that was donated. When I planned the sessions I only expected maybe 20 bags so to nearly quadruple this amount was amazing. Thank you; your help will have gone a long way to feeding so many families this Christmas."