CHARITY work in memory of Grace Millane is going from strength to strength, with her family trying to “take the positives” from her death.

The 21-year-old, who was murdered by Jessie Kempson in New Zealand almost three years ago, has left a huge hole in the lives of her family in south Essex.

Family and friends set up the Love Grace appeal in the memory of the Wickford backpacker.

The appeal raises cash and collects handbags and toiletries for homeless women.

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As a result of continued hard work, donations are now pouring in, with a fresh donations box appearing at the Co-op store on Lodge Lane, Grays.

Grace Millane’s cousin, Hannah O’Callaghan, 39, who helped set up the appeal, said: “We’ve had appeals set up in New Zealand, Singapore and Canada.

“The Co-op is hoping to have the collection box in there beyond Christmas. It’s been going really well so far.

“They’ve had to put a new box in place every three days because it’s getting to much attention.

“I think the Co-op want to have another box in their Aveley store soon too.

“We’re not a registered charity yet, but we’re looking into it. It’s something we want to do.”

In recent weeks, a group of cyclists rode from Grays to Lincoln to raise money for domestic abuse charity White Ribbon UK, in memory of Grace.

The four men raised a whopping £2,380.

This comes after a new documentary has been released, The Murder Of Grace Millane: A Faking It Special available on discovery plus.

As part of the film, footage shows her killer attempting to blame Grace for her own death “21 times” in a police interview.

Linguistic expert Dawn Archer called Kempson’s tactic the “blame shifting strategy.”

She said: “What he’s wanting the police officer to believe is that this was rough sex gone wrong and the person who initiated the sex to become as rough as it was, was Grace and not Jesse Kempson.

“It makes him less culpable.”

Mrs O’Callaghan, from Grays, told the Echo the family won’t be watching the new documentary, adding: “All our lives have changed.

“We’re just trying to turn the negative into a positive.”

During the police investigation, CCTV showed Kempson moving Grace’s body in a suitcase and burying her.

The pair had met in Auckland and gone for drinks before Kempson took her back to a hotel where he was living.

In November 2019, Jesse Kempson was convicted for the murder of Grace Millane and sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum of 17 years behind bars.