A STOURPORT lady who has been described as an ‘internet fundraising phenomenon’ has raised £100,000 for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity over five years.

Former nurse, Lynne Beckett is sourcing goods, packing and liaising online everyday using the auction site eBay, as she raises funds for the charity.

Mrs Beckett’s dedication to fundraising has made her home in Stourport-on-Severn resemble a post office sorting room, with her efforts even being recognised by eBay, who presented her with a certificate as one of its best charity sellers.

Mrs Beckett, who lives with her husband Tim, and hundreds of boxes, decided to support Midlands Air Ambulance after seeing first-hand some of the hundreds of lives they save each year.

She said: “I worked as a scrub nurse at Kidderminster Hospital and saw many people go home to their families who wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for Midlands Air Ambulance.

“Also as a charity that covers the area I live in, I could think of no better cause.”

Due to health problems, Mrs Beckett had to take early retirement and said she needed something to fill her time and wanted to still be able to help others, so she started selling cross stitch on eBay and then found more items to auction on eBay and it grew from there.

Now the operation is so big that she fundraises every day, scouring the region for Midlands Air Ambulance, frequently travelling all over her home county and regularly enlisting her husband and parents to help with all the packing.

She added: “Craft-related items and children’s toys are extremely popular. I am also finding that there are so many good people out there who are supporting me online and I am so grateful to them.

“I have even got to know everyone at the Post Office really well. They joke to me about what I am sending out and have even had coffee with them.

“My husband, Tim, doesn’t mind at all. He knows how passionate I am about this and he has said he doesn’t even mind falling over boxes, so if it’s ok with him then it is with me.

“I love helping Midlands Air Ambulance and I just ask everyone to see what they have at home that could help me to help them.

"I am so pleased with how much I have raised and I feel so proud. I love doing it and I am going to carry on working towards the next milestone in fundraising."

Jason Levy, fundraising and marketing director for Midlands Air Ambulance, said: “We are blessed with a terrific level of support from the public and Lynne has been an amazing contributor to our charity for the last five years.

“The milestone £100,000 raised through her eBay sales has helped to fund 40 air ambulance missions in the region, which is an incredible achievement and one we are extremely grateful for.

“Our thanks go to Lynne, her family and everyone who has purchased items for her on eBay.”

Lynne’s eBay page is www.ebay.co.uk/usr/charityseller2009

If you would like to donate items to Lynne, you can contact her on 01299 829719 or email her at seller4charity@aol.com