Hi everyone. Thanks for stopping by.

Earlier this year, we found out the sad news that Jonny Wilks - a son, a brother, a best friend - had passed away aged just 29. Without going into the circumstances of Jonny's death (just to respect his family's privacy) those of us who knew him, either as a family member or as a friend, were understandably devastated and shocked that someone we'd known for so long was suddenly no longer with us.

To make matters worse, it's now been two months since Jonny died and his family have still been unable to say goodbye. This is mostly due to prohibitive funeral costs, but the delay has also been caused by the endless admin forced on his family by the Department of Work and Pensions. As it currently stands, Jonny's family are unable to pay for his funeral and are unable to get the closure that a funeral would provide.

To cut a long story short, for one reason or another, the DWP are refusing to release the money required to cover Jonny's funeral. Right now, the total cost of Jonny's funeral is around £3,000. Jonny's sister, Tash, is trying to cover as much of that as she can. But without the money from the DWP there's a chance he may never get the send-off he deserves. I think anybody who has come into contact with the DWP can sympathise.

I've started this GoFundMe with Tash's permission. I'm managing it to take the stress off Tash for the time being but all of the money donated by you towards Jonny's funeral is being transferred directly to her. It takes a lot to ask for money and I wouldn't have taken the decision to start this fundraiser without checking and double-checking with her first. I understand the target is large, but that doesn't mean your donation has to be. Even donating £1 will, at the very least, go some way to making things easier for Tash and the rest of Jonny's family.

Thanks very much for reading.