Pen proved mighty indeed

Difficult financial conditions may have meant people were keeping their coins in their pockets, but John Griffiths has still managed to raise $19,100 for charity in the past year.

Mr Griffiths, a 70-year-old retired cleaner who is also well known as Dunedin's "pen man", on Thursday finished his 10th year of running raffles to buy the pens, then raising money by selling them.

In that time, he has spent countless hours selling pens for $1 each to raise money for the Otago Community Hospice, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and Dunedin Hospital's newborn baby unit.

The year's funds will go to Heart Children Otago, an organisation providing support for the parents and families of children with congenital heart conditions.

"This has been one of the toughest years so far," Mr Griffiths said, something he put down to financial conditions.

But with "determination and dedication", he still managed to surpass his target of $16,000 after nine months selling pens, and he has no plans to stop his fundraising.

He was honoured in December with a Paul Harris Fellowship from the Rotary Club of Dunedin North.

Despite raising almost $180,000 in the past 10 years, Mr Griffiths said he did not plan to retire.

"As long as I'm in good health I'll keep doing it."