Adam Crowther,Bristoland

Sarah Turnnidge,Bristol

Family photograph Aria smiles at the camera. She is wearing a pink birthday dress, a bright pink rosette and a birthday crown. She has long brown hair and the doorway behind her is decorated with pink streamers. — Aria died on Monday after suffering a single stab wound

The creator of a fundraiser set up to support the family of a nine-year-old girl who died after being stabbed has described the response as “overwhelming”.

More than £31,000 has been raised in a matter of days in memory of Aria Thorpe, who was found dead at a house in Lime Close, Weston-super-Mare, on Monday evening.

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with her murder and is set to face trial on 15 June 2026.

Heather Prindiville, who has known Aria’s mother for more than a decade, said she set up the fundraiser to give the family “breathing space”.

“This isn’t something that anybody is going to heal from quickly and there’s going to be so much that has to get done,” said Ms Prindiville, 44, from Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.

“I just wanted [Aria’s mother] to have room to be able to process, to grieve, to get through these next steps, to be able to support her family” she added.

Having met Aria’s mother while stationed on a British Army base in Alberta, Canada, Ms Prindiville described them as a “second family” and said they were “the most loving, giving family”.

“They’re just a lovely group of people, they would go out of their way to help people at any moment,” she added.

Ms Prindiville described Aria’s family as ‘the most loving, giving family’

Family Aria, who has long brown hair, smiles at the camera with her head tilted to one side. She is wearing a black pair of Minnie Mouse ears with a red and white polka dot bow on them. — Ms Prindiville described Aria’s family as ‘the most loving, giving family’

While there has been a huge outpouring of support from the Weston-super-Mare community and the wider West of England, the fundraising page has been shared worldwide.

Ms Prindiville said that making connections in the military was “part and parcel” of living in different parts of the world, something that has been reflected in the fundraiser getting donations from people in countries such as Germany, Australia and Canada.

Ms Prindiville said she had been stunned at the response to the fundraiser

Heather Prindiville facing the camera in a screenshot taken from a Zoom conversation. She is wearing a dark top and dark red lipstick, and has shoulder-length brown hair — Ms Prindiville said she had been stunned at the response to the fundraiser

She said she could “never have imagined in a million years” how the fundraiser would spread across the world.

“It built so quickly and it was just overwhelming,” she added.

“Honestly, my heart could have burst, I don’t think I have ever felt my chest feel so full. I don’t even know how to put it into words.”

More than 1,600 people have now donated to the fundraiser. While the money will be an “incredible” help to the family, Ms Prindiville said, the hundreds of messages of condolence had hugely “moved” Aria’s loved ones.

“With so many really amazing, wonderful people all coming together and getting behind something, it just creates this love,” she said.

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