- Claire Squires, from Leicestershire, was on the last mile of the London Marathon when she collapsed at Birdcage Walk near St James’s Park
- She was running to raise funds in memory of her brother, who died of an overdose aged 25 in 2001, and will be laid to rest next to him on Wednesday
- Miss Squires had raised more than £500
for the Samaritans by running the marathon – but public donations poured in as news of her death spread
- Total includes almost £180,000 in tax breaks under Gift Aid scheme
- JustGiving.com agrees to waive its fee on donations
- Shocked family pays tribute to ‘incredible, inspirational, driven person’
By
Katherine Faulkner, Larisa Brown, Rebecca Evans and Lyle Brennan
PUBLISHED:
11:02 EST, 27 April 2012
|
UPDATED:
11:02 EST, 27 April 2012
Donations made in memory of tragic marathon runner Claire Squires have broken the £1million mark.
When the 30-year-old hairdresser set off in Sunday’s London Marathon, the total on her fundraising website stood at £500.
But today, five days after Miss Squire collapsed and died on the final stretch, nearly 72,000 donations from across the world have seen that figure rocket.
Almost £180,000 of the total going to her chosen charity, the Samaritans, comes thanks to tax breaks reclaimable under the Gift Aid scheme.
Family loss: Miss Squires is to be buried alongside her brother Grant (right), who died of a drugs overdose aged 25 in 2001. The devoted younger sister was running the London Marathon for the Samaritans in his memory
Miss Squires had planned to run the
26.2-mile course to raise cash in honour of her brother Grant, who died
of a drug overdose in 2001, aged 25.
Catherine Johnstone, chief executive of Samaritans, said: ‘The circumstances under which the donations have reached £1million are heartbreaking, but we would like to thank everyone for their support. We are deeply touched by the public’s reaction to Claire Squires’ very sad death.
‘No decisions have yet been made about where the donations from Claire’s tribute fund will be spent. As agreed with Claire’s family, we will be sitting down with them at an appropriate time to discuss what they feel she would have liked these donations to fund. However, we want to reassure everyone who has kindly contributed that every penny will go solely to the delivery of our helpline service.’
The million-pound milestone came as her family confirmed she will be buried in a shared grave alongside her
beloved older brother, who was found dead a few days after surviving a
car crash in which his girlfriend was killed.
Their father Paul, 62, said: ‘I did
not think in my worst nightmare that I would be burying any of my
children, let alone two of them, when we got this family plot years ago.
‘I fully expected to go before all of my children. That is the natural order of things.’
A
funeral ceremony will be held next at noon on Wednesday, at St Andrews
Church in the family’s home town of North Kilworth, Leicestershire.
Liz
Hudson-Ollis, director of communications at the Diocese of Leicester,
said the service will be conducted by the Rev Emma Davies, the parish
vicar, alongside local baptist minister Pastor Johnny Hutton.
Poignant: Claire Squires, of North Kilworth, Lutterworth, in a Facebook photo taken the day before she died running the London Marathon
In a statement released through
Virgin London Marathon, Miss Squires’ family said it would be ‘a
private funeral for family and friends of Claire only’ and media were
asked not to attend.
They asked that only relatives and
friends send flowers, and donations in lieu should be made to Rainbows
Children’s Hospice in Loughborough, Leicestershire.
Mr Squires said the family were all together at the family home yesterday for Miss Squires’ sister Maxine’s 39th birthday.
He
said: ‘We have not been able to celebrate Maxine’s birthday because of
the terrible situation but we are supporting each other and are a strong
family.
‘We will celebrate her birthday later in the year. Claire would have wanted that.’
Mr Squires and his eldest daughter were joined by Miss Squires’ mother Cilla, 63, and sisters Nicola, 32, and Penny, 28.
He said: ‘I can’t bring myself to read
any of the newspapers and watch the television coverage about Claire
but that is the way I am coping.
‘Her sisters keep me informed of how
the donations total just keeps on climbing. We are here for each other,
just as Claire was here for us all.
‘Claire was a truly remarkable person and this reaction is truly remarkable, too.’
Celebrities to contribute to the fund include Sir
Richard Branson, Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon, who pledged
£100, and Dragons’ Den star Peter Jones, who donated £2,000.
Mr Squires said: ‘It seems as though
my daughter has captured the hearts of a nation. She was a wonderful,
loving, giving person and it is some comfort to us as a family that
people have responded in this way. It is amazing.’
Close friend Nicola Short, who climbed Mount
Kilimanjaro for charity with Miss Squires just over a year ago, urged
people to keep giving to the charity.
Miss Short, 31, of Kibworth, Leicestershire, said her friend’s family were devastated but were drawing solace from the good wishes and kindness of the public.
She
told the BBC: ‘Obviously they are extremely devastated but they’re
together, they are a strong family and they are close, they have spent
all week together round at Claire’s mum and dad’s house.
‘Obviously
the more money that’s coming in is overwhelming but it is giving them a
little bit of comfort to know she has managed to do such a great
thing.’
She added: ‘I don’t think any of us had any idea of how much she would raise.
‘I think she would be completely overwhelmed and completely over the moon.’
Close friends: Claire Squires (right), with her Nicola Short, who described how the runner’s tight-knit family have come together to deal with their shock
Miss Short said she did not believe the news when she found out from a friend.
‘I didn’t believe him because she is such an incredibly fit, healthy person and I didn’t think it was true,’ she said.
She added her friend was on time for
her personal best and ‘she would have wanted everyone to know that
because she always goes at 110 per cent – she was so driven.’
Miss Squires was full of energy and positivity, her friend said. ‘I have never known anyone like Claire.
‘You could ask anyone – she was louder than anyone in the room, she was larger than life, she was always always upbeat.
‘She
was a very caring and passionate person and always looking to improve
herself and try new things and she loved raising money for charity and
was always there for everyone as a friend through thick and thin.’
Describing her friend as ‘the magnet that brought all of us girls together’, Miss Short said: ‘She was always there for you when you needed her and ready to drag you out of your bad mood whenever you were feeling sad or low.
‘In fact she is the one person I’ve wanted to call on this week. But, of course, I can’t.
‘When we climbed the mountain she virtually skipped up it. She was always looking her best and always at the front with the guides, whereas I was at the back trudging along.
‘She’d always come back to see that I was okay and then she held my hand all the way back down when I was struggling.
‘Claire even carried a pair of high heels up the mountain with her and put them straight on when she reached the top.
‘She was a shining star who was loved by all who knew her. It’s hard to imagine life without her.’
Heartbroken: Miss Squires with her boyfriend Simon Van Herrewege, who described her as ‘the most incredible girl’
Tragic: Claire Squires, 30, collapsed and died while running the last mile of Sunday’s London Marathon
Home straight: Miss Squires collapsed at Birdcage Walk, near St James’s Park, on the last mile of the course
Tribute: Passers by stop to look at flowers left on Birdcage Walk where Claire Squires collapsed
Passing
on a message from Miss Squires’ parents father and mother, a
Samaritans volunteer for more than 20 years, Miss Short said: ‘They are
absolutely overwhelmed with the generosity.’
And she added her sisters had been reading messages left on the JustGiving website and were ‘finding solace in that’.
It is not yet known why Miss Squires collapsed less than a mile from the marathon finishing line last weekend.
She fell to the ground in front of horrified spectators on Birdcage
Walk, near St James’ Park within a mile of the marathon finish line.
Paramedics tried to save the hairdresser’s life, but she died at the scene soon afterwards, making her
the 11th participant to die in the event since it began in 1981.
Her friend Miss Short said the fitness fanatic had been on course for her personal best time of three hours 51 minutes when she collapsed.
In
a poignant photograph posted by a friend on Facebook on the day before
the marathon, Miss Squires was pictured smiling and giving the thumbs up
after choosing her running outfit.
Within hours of her death, it became clear she had touched the hearts of thousands as donations through her JustGiving
charity page peaked at more than £300 a minute on Tuesday. Later that
night, 44,600 people around the world had donated £502,000.
JustGiving, which is waiving its usual 5
per cent fee on the money, said it was the largest number of donations
received through the service in a day.
Friends and relatives paid tribute to
the 30-year-old and described her as an ‘incredible, inspirational,
beautiful and driven person’.
Committed fundraiser: Miss Squires regularly raised money for charity
Her boyfriend of two-and-a-half years, property developer Simon Van Herrewege,31, described Miss Squires as ‘the most incredible girl’.
He said: ‘She was
happy-go-lucky and so driven. She had a heart of gold. I love her more
than words can say and she will be dearly missed.’
JustGiving.com crashed for a short while on Tuesday afternoon.
A
spokesman said: ‘This is the largest number of donations ever received
in a day, and in terms of a single event and not an appeal, it is the
highest we have ever seen.
‘We are donating the fee we get from donations and giving it to the Samaritans in Claire’s honour.
‘The
five per cent we receive is usually put towards the website, especially
to help us at times like this when we are getting a lot of traffic on
the site.’
Friends
believe her decision to raise money for the Samaritans – which offers
support to people in distress – was partly inspired by the memory of her
brother.
In 2001, electrician Grant Squires
was found dead after taking an overdose. He had ‘sunk into a depression’
after seeing his girlfriend Heidi Richardson killed in a horrific car
crash that he survived.
The coroner at the inquest into his death recorded an open verdict.
A family friend said Miss Squires’ parents, who have been married for 40 years, were struggling to come
to terms with losing another of their five children.
The friend said: ‘To lose one child is
just terrible, but to lose another – it’s a nightmare. They are a
lovely family, and all the siblings were really close, so it was awful
for them when Grant died. Now to lose Claire as well – it is just awful.
‘One minute I was watching the marathon on the television trying to spot her, and then I got a call saying she had died.’
The family
friend, who asked not to be named, said: ‘Claire was so beautiful and
such a nice girl. She was fit and had been training for the marathon.
‘She’s climbed Mount Kilimanjaro too – it just shows these things can happen to anyone.
‘I just hope out of all of this tragedy her mother will find strength and see how much support she has from everyone.’
Tests to establish why Miss Squires collapsed are expected to take place in the coming days.
Catherine Johnstone of the Samaritans, for which the runner’s mother had
done voluntary work for decades, said the charity would dedicate a fund to her
daughter’s memory.
Tourists: Miss Squires (right) and her friend Nicky Wells (left) smile for the camera during a holiday overseas
The Samaritans has said it will dedicate a fund to the tragic runner’s memory
Claire Squires (left), pictured with her friend Nicola Short during their charity climb of Kilimanjaro
She said: ‘Claire chose to run the
marathon for Samaritans as her mother Cilla Squires has been a volunteer
for the charity for 24 years.
‘We desperately wish that it was not under these circumstances, but we have been overwhelmed by the response.’
Friends
paying tribute to Miss Squires said she was ‘wonderfully vibrant’.
Rebecca Herity wrote: ‘Such an amazing
girl! Miss you so much already! Beautiful angel xxx”, while Jo Lovell
also wrote: ‘Amazing lady! xxx’.
One of the runner’s best friends, Victoria Hauser, told Channel 5 News Miss Squires was ‘the most amazing person in the world’.
Ms Hauser, who knew Miss Squires for 15 years, said her friend would always do her best for other people.
She said: ‘Claire was the best friend
I have ever had. She could never be replaced and dozens of people would
feel like that – it’s not just me.
‘Once Claire was a friend, she was a
friend for life and a very, very good friend. There is nothing Claire
wouldn’t have done for you, really.
‘It’s been never-ending. She’s done
the Great North Run, she’s done a climb on Kilimanjaro, she’s done a
marathon previously for the Children’s Society. She raised over £750 for
the Children’s Society.
‘It wasn’t about a personal best or
anything like that for Claire, she’d do her best – it was about what she
could do for other people.
Claire Collins-Green said: ‘You are the brightest star in the sky. Love surrounds you.’
Lily Jones added: ‘Thinking of you Claire, Rest In Peace.’
A fellow runner donated £20 and
wrote: ‘So sorry to hear the news. Rest easy – an angel for those who
run the course in future years.’
Another donated £50 and said: ‘So tragic. Claire was an inspiration to everyone. Our thoughts are with your family and friends.’
Friends also took to Twitter to pay tribute to Miss Squires.
Daisy
Milburn wrote: ‘R.I.P Claire Squires deeply saddening news you’ll
be hugely missed’, and Callie Wright wrote: ‘RIP Claire Squires – lived
life to the full. Only lady I know to take hair straighteners up a
mountain!’
Another friend wrote on Facebook: ‘Can’t believe it. This cant be true. She was so healthy.’
Miss Squires died with the finishing line only one bend away.
Birdcage Walk borders St James’s Park
and is the last road that runners have to travel before reaching
Buckingham Palace, where they turn on to the final stretch at The Mall.
Miss
Squires raised £1,886 for the Children’s Society by completing the 2010
London Marathon, and last year raised £1,430 for the RAF Association by
climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
She was only 20 when her brother Grant died.
• The
home and email addresses of all 38,000 London Marathon runners,
including dozens of celebrities, were unintentionally published by the
organisers on their website.
They apologised for the lapse and said it had been resolved.
The Information Commissioner’s Office will investigate
Generous: Miss Squires had previously climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to raise money for the RAF
‘Heart of gold’: Miss Squires (centre), pictured with Nikki Wells (left) and Penny Squires (right), takes part in a charity car wash
WHERE THE MONEY RAISED BY MISS SQUIRES FOR THE SAMARITANS WILL GO
Taking calls: A volunteer mans the phone at a Samaritan centre in Stoke-On-Trent (file picture)
As strangers continue to donate thousands of pounds each hour to Miss Squire’s charity fund, the Samaritans confirmed that they are in talks with her family about how to spend the money.
A spokesman for the charity, a confidential emotional support service for anyone in the UK and Ireland, said the huge amount raised will be undoubtedly help make people more aware of the services and support available through the Samaritans.
Catherine Johnstone, chief executive of the Samaritans, said: ‘These donations will be put into a tribute fund and, following discussions with the family, will go towards projects they feel would have been important to Claire.’
The organisation’s website explains that it ‘aims to benefit society by improving people’s emotional health in order to create a greater sense of well being’.
It accomplishes this by offering 24-hour support on the telephone, by email, by letter or face-to-face. The charity also visits schools, prisons and workplaces.
It receives five million telephone calls a year, all of which are answered by the 18,750 unpaid volunteers who work at one of its 201 branches around the UK and Ireland.
Across the UK the Samaritans can be reached on 08457 90 90 90 for the price of a local call. In the Republic of Ireland the number is 1850 60 90 90.
You can also email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org or write to Chris, PO Box 9090, Stirling, FK8 2SA.
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For those confused over the amount to be donated to The Samaritans I would point out that the donations raised are shown at the top of Claire’s page and the Donation Summary, including Gift Aid, is shown at the bottom of the page. Wouldn’t it be great if the donations alone exceeded £1m?
- The Sage, West Sussex, 27/4/2012 22:22
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Such a sad story. It’s so heart warming to see the response of the human race. It annoys me all the negative comments. That wee lassie did good for the causes close to her heart. It’s so sad that she died and am sure she would have continued her amazing charity work if she had not been taken so soon. Lovely legacy, rip lovely lady xxx
- Louise, London, 27/4/2012 22:13
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Yes this woman was raising money for a good cause, fair play to her. But she was far from the first to die in such circumstances, the mass hysteria created by this is purely down to her being a fairly attractive young woman, hence why we are being shown pictures of her scantily clad washing cars! If this were a balding, middle aged guy this would have been no more than a footnote. Tragic event – definitely. Any more tragic than the thousands of other young people who die in their prime every week? No.
- Noel, Mansfield, 27/4/2012 21:33 **The FACT of the matter is, if you make an effort about your fitness appearance, those people tend to go on to lead more successful lives – because they are DRIVEN. The carwash photo looks to me nothing more than ANOTHER one of her charity raising activities. The ‘mass hysteria’ is about how she died in public, running a marathon for ANOTHER charity! So some ‘balding, middle aged guy’ who didn’t raise money for charity, is NOT a news worthy person!
- PD, Cumbria, 27/4/2012 22:11
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Goodnight precious soul, thank you for all that you gave and did for humanity.
You will be greatly missed.
- Stevo, UK, 27/4/2012 22:07
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It is a tragedy but It is also true to say but the only reason donations have soared is the fact that she was attractive. Had she been unattractive not only would the coverage of her death been minimal but donations would have remained so too. A pathetic reflection of the shallow and vacuous society we now live in.
- Fraziel, Glasgow, 27/4/2012 21:50
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@Noel, Mansfield, 27/4/2012 21:33 ———— Couldn’t agree more. It’s mass hysteria minus 5%.
- Alex, UK, 27/4/2012 21:46
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her poor parents having lost 2 children, so painful
- shelb, Dn, NZ, 27/4/2012 21:43
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Whenever I read this story I cry… I’m so sad for her and her family and so happy about the way everyone has responded to it… RIP xxxx
- sarah, london, 27/4/2012 21:34
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Yes this woman was raising money for a good cause, fair play to her. But she was far from the first to die in such circumstances, the mass hysteria created by this is purely down to her being a fairly attractive young woman, hence why we are being shown pictures of her scantily clad washing cars! If this were a balding, middle aged guy this would have been no more than a footnote. Tragic event – definitely. Any more tragic than the thousands of other young people who die in their prime every week? No.
- Noel, Mansfield, 27/4/2012 21:33
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I hope this brings her family some comfort during these dark days.
- shares, Dudley, 27/4/2012 21:15
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