A fundraiser set up to support a mother who tragically lost her husband, children and dog in a crash on Father’s Day last year has reached more than £46,000.

Emma Flynn lost 37-year-old Joshua James Flynn, son Coby-Jay, 15, and daughter Skylar, 12, who died along with beloved dog Troy on Abbey Road in Dalton back in June 2020.

This fundraiser started shortly after the funeral procession where people lined the streets outside Furness Academy, Barrow, where Skylar and Coby-Jay went to school, to pay their respects as the funeral cortege filed past.

Ribbons were attached to railings by mourners as tributes and, at mum Emma Flynn’s request, the hearses were met with a round of applause to honour the deceased.

Tributes poured in for the young family following the tragedy which profoundly shocked the Furness and South Lakeland communities.

Nicola Barnes set up this fundraiser with an initial target of £1,000 but the current total is now at £46,102, showing just how much this cause means to the people of Furness.

On the Justgiving fundraiser page, the message said: “I’m sure any parent could only imagine the heartache of losing our entire world in an instant without even getting to say goodbye.

“Everyone knows that we look after our own in Barrow, so I’m calling on the whole community to step up and let her know that we’ll be with her every step of the way.

“None of us can truly comprehend what she’s going through right now, which is why it’s so important that we make sure she can grieve in peace without having to stress about paying for funerals or counselling.

“Nothing will make this horrendous situation more bearable for Emma, but if there’s anything we can do to help, we’ve got a duty to at least try.

“Let’s do Josh, Coby-Jay, Skylar and family pet Troy proud – even just 50p could go a long way if you can spare it.”

That sentiment certainly hit home with more than 3,000 people donating to the cause and it smashed the original target by 4,610 per cent as the community showed how much supporting the family meant to them.