A fundraiser for the murdered teenager Brianna Ghey has soared to over £110,000 - just days after the heartbroken Culcheth community gathered near where she was killed.
Brianna was found with fatal stab wounds in Culcheth Linear Park, near Warrington, on Saturday, February 11. A boy from Leigh and a girl from Warrington, both 15, have been charged with her "extremely brutal and punishing" murder and are due to stand trial in July.
Cheshire Police said Brianna's family have been overwhelmed by the messages of "support, positivity and compassion" as a number of vigils were held across the UK. Mourners gathered at Liverpool's St George's Hall last Tuesday, while hundreds of people gathered at Culcheth's village green on Friday night in memory of Brianna, who was a trans girl.
READ MORE: Woman 'humiliated' when station staff approached her
Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, attended the vigil with his daughter and tweeted: "Here to remember Brianna, send our love to her family and support to young trans people everywhere." A large number of mourners wore t-shirts with Brianna's picture on, accompanied by the message "rest in power".
The fundraising page set up days after the 16-year-old was found dead topped £110,000 this morning, Monday, February 20, with donations far exceeding the original target of £4,216 to pay for the funeral. Victoria and Jacob Potter, who organised the fundraiser, said: "Brianna was an outgoing, confident girl. She brought a lot of laughter to those who knew her.
"She was looking forward to taking her exams this year and beginning her journey into the adult world. We have set up this page to help the family at this truly devastating time.
"We need your support to help them with funeral costs (we want to make this pink and colourful to match her personality) and ask if you can spare anything no matter how small to try to relieve their stress and allow them to grieve their beautiful daughter."
A huge amount of floral tributes, toys and hand-written messages have been left at the entrance to Culcheth Linear Park. Over 6,800 donations have flooded in from all over the world, with many offering messages of support.
Luther Billings wrote: "I never knew Briana before this tragedy. If it weren’t for her murder, I’d likely never know of her existence. However, as a young trans man myself, I understand the pain she went through for the years leading up to that day.
"She was a part of my community, and learning of her death shook me. She deserved to live a long, full life. It pains me knowing that this beautiful girl was taken away by the selfishness of others."
DCI Adam Waller, Cheshire Police's senior investigating officer, said: "Many of our officers have been approached to offer their best wishes to us and, especially, to Brianna's family. I know the family have also been overwhelmed by the messages of support, positivity and the compassion across the country and beyond - and the thoughts of everyone at the constabulary remains firmly with them."
Brianna's family issued a statement calling her "a much loved daughter, granddaughter and baby sister". They added: "She was a larger than life character who would leave a lasting impression on all that met her. Brianna was beautiful, witty and hilarious. Brianna was strong, fearless and one of a kind.
"The loss of her young life has left a massive hole in our family, and we know that the teachers and her friends who were involved in her life will feel the same."
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here.
READ NEXT:
Woman 'humiliated' when station staff approached her
Nicola Bulley's partner shares 'agony' after body found in river
Eerie glimpse inside 'creepy' abandoned school left to rot
'Scarface', paedophile and injured burglar among 11 criminals jailed this week
