CUSTOMERS at Asda in Cwmbran have helped to raise over £1,000 towards the funeral costs for a woman who died in a house fire.

Samantha Thomas, 29, was killed during a fire at the first-floor flat in Shakespeare Road, Cwmbran, on Tuesday, May 19.

Since her tragic death, friends and family have rallied around to raise funds to give her the send off she deserves.

Asda in Cwmbran held a fundraising effort last Saturday, which saw members of staff dressing in pink and customers made a donation.

The event raised £1,400.

Community Life Colleague at Cwmbran Asda, Rachel Riordan, said that the money will be given to a family friend who is collecting funds to help pay for Miss Thomas’ funeral.

Two fundraising pages have been set up in memory of the ‘kind hearted’ woman.

So far a Go Fund Me page set up by Miss Thomas’ brother Michael Thomas has raised £28.

A Just Giving page set up by Kelly Webster has reached its £500 goal after rugby player Sam Warburton backed the appeal by retweeting the page.

“We are trying to raise as much as possible,” Miss Thomas’ sister Rachael Jenkins said.

“We are using the money for her funeral and to help towards the community as well, as we are going to split half the money to help do up the houses for the [neighbours] who lived near Sam.”

Any funds left over will be donated to the emergency services and All Creatures Great and Small, as Miss Thomas was a huge animal lover-spending much of her life volunteering in shelters and vet surgeries.

To donate visit: http://www.gofundme.com/Samanthathomas

https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/kelly-webster-2