A heartbroken community is hoping to repatriate a "larger than life" mum home to her family after she died from Covid-19.

Rose Benisson worked in Binfield as the owner of Blankson's laundry shop and was a familiar face within the small Bracknell community.

Described by her friends as 'wonderfully kind lady', she was well-loved and always went the extra mile to help others.

Whilst living in England, she asked her close friend to be her next of kin as her family live in Ghana.

Rose sadly passed away from Covid-19 in Royal Berkshire Hospital last month and her friends are fundraising to have her repatriated home to her family.

So far, they have surpassed their fundraising target of £6,000 which means Rose can be laid to rest in Ghana with her family by her side.

Bracknell News:

Jackie Kelley, a friend of Rose's told the News how devastated she felt when her friend died.

She said: "I know that her son must miss her dearly and I can't even imagine how he must feel. So if by trying to raise funds they are reunited, even in death then that is my parting gift to Rose

"She sadly had no family and she asked a friend of ours to be her next of kin.

"We were called to the hospital but sadly missed her death by minutes. Sadly this meant that she would have have had to have had a basic council funeral without even the availability of her ashes. As a result a few of us decided to set up a GoFundMe page yesterday afternoon. "We needed to raise £6000 to have her repatriated home so the funeral could be held there.

"Literally within nine hours yesterday we have beaten our target and Amanda will be in contact with her son today to start making arrangements.

"We have been in contact with her son, who has you can imagine is devastated by his mothers death."

Rose's next of kin Amanda explained how she met her behind the Crema Coffee Shop 14 years ago.

She said: "I met her at the ironing shop behind Crema Coffee Shop 14 years ago. She had the most infectious laugh I’ve ever heard. She had an opinion on everything. She really, properly, looked at you and listened when you were with her. She’s been talking about going back to Ghana for years, it was always a matter of saving up.

"She’s struggled like mad through 2020. She caught Covid and was taken to hospital. She called me to bring her a toothbrush etc. I wasn’t allowed in the ward and on Sunday 24th I got a call. Rose has nobody here and had put me down as next of kin. You are allowed in when the patient is close to death.Jackie Kelley followed me in the car, thank goodness she did because I was 10 minutes too late. It was like a war zone, yet in the 10 minutes they had before her friend turned up, the nurses had washed, dressed and tucked Rose up in fresh pressed sheets.

"She’d made a friend of every nurse and they held her hand at the end. The family in Ghana is struggling to find the £1,500 to get her remains cremated. We’ve said we will try to help. The £6,000 it takes to repatriate a body is way beyond them so we are going to try to get Rose home to her son and they don’t know this.

"Even a small amount will help, if you can. Any additional funds will go directly to Rose’s family for the funeral in Ghana."

Click here to donate to the fundraising page.