Jay Slater’s mum reveals what £72k fundraiser was spent on after officially closing GoFundMe
The mother of Jay Slater has revealed how £72,000 fundraiser was spent after announcing that the GoFundMe page has officially closed.
The 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared on June 17, after attending the NRG music festival at Playa de las Americas.
His body was discovered on July 15 following a month-long search, with a post-mortem examination concluding he died from traumatic head injuries consistent with a fall.
In her final update, his mother Debbie Duncan, 56, detailed how the funds were used to aid search efforts and bring her “beautiful boy” back to the UK.
The fundraiser, originally set up by Jay’s best friend Lucy Mae, continued receiving donations even after his death was confirmed.
The funds raised helped finance the Signi search team from the Netherlands, who supported the family during the critical period when Jay was found.
“With your support we were able to stay in Tenerife until we got our beautiful boy back to the UK,” Duncan wrote in her update.
The money also enabled the family to give Jay what his mother described as “the send off he truly deserved” at his funeral, which took place at Accrington Cemetery Chapel in Lancashire on August 10.
Throughout their time in Tenerife, the family maintained close contact with the GoFundMe page administrator, with Duncan noting: “The support and advice you gave will not be forgotten.”
The fundraiser had initially reached £54,000 when Jay’s body was discovered, with donations continuing to flow in afterwards.
In her emotional message, the 54-year-old expressed profound gratitude for the overwhelming global support received during their tragic ordeal.
“We would like to thank all you beautiful people who supported us throughout this heartbreaking time,” she wrote.
“Jay really did touch the hearts of the nation and it truly showed us how much love you all shared with us.”
The grieving mother acknowledged their ongoing struggle, stating: “Our journey of trauma and grief will continue for ever and we will never recover.”
“We lost our beautiful boy in extremely tragic circumstances whilst the world watched.
“We do not and will never understand how Jay’s story reached every corner of the globe.”
She concluded that while their journey was “far from over,” the burden had been eased by the public’s support.
The family faced significant online harassment during their search for Jay and in the aftermath of his death, including cruel conspiracy theories and malicious hoaxes.
The bereaved mother revealed she received thousands of disturbing messages, including fake videos purporting to show Jay being tortured and false claims that people could pay to watch his funeral via livestream.
Some online trolls even accused the family of misusing the fundraiser money, despite them having no direct control over the GoFundMe page.
The grieving mother has vowed to campaign for tougher laws on trolling, which she said had “terrorised” her family during their ordeal.