A CHARITY is to be set up in memory of a Blackwood woman who was killed at an Argoed hostel last November.
Cerys Yemm, 22, died from her injuries at Sirhowy Arms Hotel, a homeless hostel, in the early hours of Thursday November 6.
Her alleged attacker, Matthew Williams, 34, who had recently been released from prison, also died at the scene shortly after police discharged a 50,000-volt Taser and arrested him.
In an effort to keep Ms Yemm's memory alive, an eight-person residents’ committee in Argoed has come together with her mother, Paula, and two close friends of the family, Kenet Simmonds and Sharon Nash-Upton, to form the Justice for Cerys charity.
The committee hopes to raise £30,000 to pay for a barrister for the inquest into Ms Yemm's death and to get the charity off the ground.
The charity will aim to help young people with mental issues, particularly those aged between 14 and 16, and plans to tour local schools in the area.
Mrs Nash-Upton, 53, from Blackwood, was invited onto the committee at the beginning of this year and said the main aim of the charity was to keep Ms Yemm's memory alive.
She said: “Cerys has been forgotten in all of this and the focus has been on lots of other things.
“She was a beautiful, intelligent girl and a deep poet. She loved kids and was looking at going to college to do nursing.
“Paula has found it very, very difficult. There have been more low days than high ones and she just wants her daughter back.
“She’s such a gentle woman and will never move on.
“But, the charity will help her in being part of something positive and we hope it will help others.
“Cerys' memory will not be lost.”
The charity’s s first event, a community fun day, will be held at Argoed Community Centre between 11am and 4.30pm tomorrow (Sat).
As well as raising awareness of the charity, the event is aimed at bringing the community back together following a difficult few months.
She added: “It’s been a ghost town. We’re trying to get the community back together again by doing something positive. We’ve all been left devastated.
“It could have happened to any of our young girls in Argoed and it really is quite frightening.
“Argoed used to be a lovely little village and this will help pull the community back together and overcome their fears.”
The residents committee has also previously called for the closure of the Sirhowy Arms Hotel.
In response to the calls, owner Mandy Miles previously told the Argus: “They can’t hold me responsible. What do they want me to do, put them out on the street? Isn’t it better if they’re contained? They are safer here with supervision than out on the streets.”
For more information and to view the charity's Go Fund Me page, visit http://www.gofundme.com/Justice-for-Cerys?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&utm_content=cta_button&utm_campaign=invite_n.
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