A NEWPORT carer raised almost £20,000 for charity by collecting and selling unwanted goods.

Rose Portal, who is known by many people in Bettws as 'Charity Rose' or 'Auntie Wainwright' after the Last of the Summer Wine character who runs a second hand shop, started fundraising for the Noah's Ark Appeal in 2005.

Since then she has collected £19,500 and is confident of raising the final £500 by Christmas.

Mrs Portal, 62, often finds donated clothes, books, electrical items, games and puzzles outside her Medway Road home.

She then sells these items at Castle Bingo in Newport which she goes to every day or through Graham's Auctions at Bettws Rugby Club who sells the larger items at no charge.

She admits the most expensive item she sold was a rowing machine for just £5.

She said: "I don't care how much it goes for as long as it sells."

Mrs Portal admits she is inundated with donations and intends to stop the fundraising at Christmas, admitting it has taken over her life and her house.

"It's been wonderful for five years and has snowballed year to year but enough is enough."

She said she has not been affected by the recession and puts her success down to it being a "throw-away world".

Mrs Portal said it usually takes her about a week to raise £100.

The mother-of-two started fundraising when her disabled son Richard, 40, started to go to Brynglas Adult Training Centre and raised money for the Physically Handicapped and Able Bodied Club.

She now juggles her fundraising with being a full-time carer to her son and her job as a home care worker for Newport City Council.