MORE than £12,500 has been donated to a fundraiser set up by friends of Holly Newton's family.

A gofundme page has now more than quadrupled its initial £3,000 goal thanks to the generosity of more than 700 people. One single donation of £2,000 is listed from an anonymous donor.

Organisers Lisa Wilson and Carrie Anne Matthews launched the fundraiser the day after Holly's death to help support her grieving family. They described popular Holly as a "beautiful 15-year-old that loved dancing and will be sadly missed."

"We never once imagined it would raise so much", Lisa told the Courant. "We decided to take the pressure away of having to worry about paying for the funeral, so they (the family) could grieve without extra pressure. 

"This has shocked not only a community but a whole county.

"We are so pleased with the generosity of people who did not know them, it just shows that there are still good people out there that care.

"We would like to thank everyone for their support and donations, it has given the family light in the darkness and we hope they can now give Holly the send off she really deserves."

To donate:https://www.gofundme.com/f/holly-olivia?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_cf%20share-flow-1&fbclid=IwAR1Jagx2CoFw5nVSgBviun91pKaqCUPeEqm4FmSnscXHbhwvsJhRMXOcctc