EARLIER this year Tina Simpkins set herself an ambitious goal to raise £5,000 for Mencap.

Nine months later and £152 over target Tina still can't quite believe she's done it.

On Saturday she celebrated her achievement with the customers she said made it all happen.

At the Forbuoys newsagent in Penhill, which Tina runs with her husband David, she presented raffle prizes to the people who together bought more than 3,000 raffle tickets.

She told them: "If it hadn't had been for you lot this would never have happened."

Mrs Simpkins, 38, is touched by the kindness of local supporters, almost to the point of tears.

"It is a tremendous feeling. I am feeling quite emotional at the response people have given to the campaign. It has been absolutely brilliant," she said.

The idea to raise money for the charity which helps mentally disabled people came when TM Retail, the company which owns the newsagent, decided to adopt it as their charity of the year.

Tina said she had always wanted to support the charity because close members of her family have mental health problems.

As a youngster Tina also went to a special school.

"The company adopting the charity just seemed to give me the green light," she said.

During her fundraising spree Tina arranged several raffles, competitions, sales, cash collections and even found herself scaling a 30 foot climbing wall at the Link Centre despite being scared of heights.

She said: The people around here have just been absolutely wonderful. One lady, just a normal customer here, came in and gave me a bunch of flowers.

"She just walked up to me and said these are for you to say thank you for all the hard work you have been doing.

"I may have organised the events but it's everyone else who has raised the money."

Now Tina has her sights set on raising a further £48 to round the total up to a neat £5,200.

She hopes to present the cheque to Mencap in the next month.