FUNDRAISING for mum-of-one Zoe Milton — who lost her battle with cervical cancer at the weekend — is closing in on £20,000 with people donating from across the UK.

The campaign to raise funds for Bolton Hospice went viral after people heard about the 28-year-old on Facebook.

Now the woman behind the fundraising campaign believes it can reach £50,000.

Zoe, from Horwich, died on Sunday after being diagnosed with cervical cancer in December last year — less than 12 months after giving birth to her son Charlie.

Fundraising had reached £10,000 before her death but has now nearly doubled in less than a week.

Jane Walker, aged 48, from Bury, said: “When Zoe died I said we’d double our target of £10,000, but I know we’ll go well above that now.

“Zoe’s story has touched so many people all over the country, and we now have a group of women who have come forward without being asked and are helping so much.

“I raised £10,000 on my own, so now that we have got a whole team of people running things it can go through the roof.

“There’s no reason we can’t reach £50,000.”

Fundraising only started a month ago, when Zoe was forced to cancel her participation in an October dressage event with Active Rider based at Higher Fairbanks Farm in Rossendale.

The total currently stands at £19,450 and nearly 900 people have donated.

After hearing her story, Ms Walker, of Active Rider, suggested raising funds to look after Zoe’s horse, Romeo.

However, Zoe herself requested that any fundraising should benefit Bolton Hospice, where she was receiving palliative care during he illness.

Ms Walker will meet Zoe’s family at her funeral next week, and said she would work “relentlessly” until fundraising stops at the end of October.

She added: “We’re all going to visit the hospice in November once this is all finished and we know it will all be worth the huge effort that we’re putting in now.

“Everyone is really rallying to the cause. It’s just unbelievable.”

To donate, visit justgiving.com/ActiveRiderUK