A TEENAGER says she is devastated after the collapse of a Welsh charity means a trip to Australia to help sick children is now in doubt.

Abigail Davey, a 17-year-old Coleg Gwent student from Ponthir, had given the Joshua Foundation £3,000 to go on a three week trip across Australia where she would volunteer in children's hospices.

But the Charity Commissioner yesterday confirmed that the trustees of Joshua's Wish, better known as the Joshua Foundation, have decided to wind up the charity.

Abigail has since discovered that while she is able to get tickets for flights that were booked by the charity, accommodation for the trip has not been fully paid for or booked at all while visas haven't been sorted out.

Some 64 children are affected by the announcement, according to Miss Davey's mum Julie Dovey.

Some of the money she gave to the charity came from a garden party at her home last year, where the teenager raised £2,800.

"I'm devastated with it. Everyone of my family has helped, everyone locally," Abigail said.

Although she said she'd like to go on holiday, she'd like to know that her money has gone to a good cause.

"Ideally I'd like to go. If we did just turn up we couldn't without having to put in a lot more money again. It would be great if it did [the money] end up going to charity," she said.

The Charity Commission said it has been informed that the trustees of Joshua's Wish - the official title of the Joshua Foundation - have decided to wind up the charity.

"We are acutely aware that some of the charity's supporters are concerned about the charity winding up," a spokeswoman for the commission said.

"We are advising that they contact the appointed insolvency practitioners, Burton Sweet, based in Bristol, who will deal with their concerns."

The Joshua Foundation could not be reached yesterday for comment.