Heather’s fund reaches £28k (From York Press)

Fund set up to help children of murdered policewoman Heather Cooper reaches £28,000

8:29am Wednesday 22nd February 2012 in Fundraising fun By Jennifer Bell, jennifer.bell@thepress.co.uk

A CHARITY fund set up to help the children of a murdered policewoman from York has almost tripled its target.

Heather Cooper, 33, who grew up in Acomb, was killed in October and her body was found in woodland in West Sussex, where she served as a detective constable.

Following Heather’s death, Surrey Police Federation set up a trust to raise funds to support her children, Joshua and Isabelle, when they go to university.

The Federation asked colleagues or anyone who knew her to make a donation. An appeal was sent to police forces across the country through the police federation, including North Yorkshire Police.

Kieran Diamond, chairman of the Surrey Police Federation, said they had originally hoped to raise £10,000, but within four months generous colleges and friends of the popular policewoman had helped raise nearly £28,000. Mr Diamond said he thought the original target was “quite ambitious”, saying the flood of support from policemen and women across the country had been “overwhelming”.

He said: “From a personal point of view, we orchestrated the fund but had to do very little in managing it.

“People have come out from all over to do weird and wonderful things to raise money.

“When the pendulum swings so far one way that terrible things happen, it tends to swing the other way and people want to do something that’s meaningful. Some amazing things happen in this world and something has come out of this tragedy.

“Those children have lost the love and the counsel of their mother. She was on maternity leave and had just had a baby.

“From our stance, the children are the most important thing.

Mr Diamond the new target for the fund, which will close in June, is £30,000, and said over the next few months a number of fundraising events are in the pipeline.

The body of DC Cooper was discovered in the early hours of Monday, October 17. Post- mortem examinations later found she had died from a blow to the head and a stab wound to the throat.

Her former partner, Peter Foster, 35, of West Street, Haslemere, has been remanded in custody, charged with murder. He is due in court on March 9.

To make a donation to Heather’s children, cheques or cash can be sent to Surrey Police Federation, 13 Munstead View, Surrey Police HQ, Sandy Lane, Guildford, Surrey GU3 1HG.

Cheques should be made payable to Surrey Police Federation Orphans Donations.