FUNDRAISING for injured Thornbury student Lewis Evans, who suffered a horrific accident on a Greek island, is set to surpass the £30,000 target in just a week after incredible support from the community.

The 18-year-old was riding a quadbike in Zante when it crashed into a tree last Monday, October 3, leaving him critically injured with holes in his lungs, a ruptured spleen and fractured vertebrae.

Due to the accident happening while using the vehicle, Lewis’ travel insurance from the Post Office was voided, leaving the family to raise the £30,000 needed to pay for a medical flight home for him.

With online fundraising on the verge of reaching the target, there are still a number of events yet to be included in the tally.

On top of this, The Post Office has agreed to donate £10,000 after the intervention of former Thornbury and Yate MP Steve Webb.

Mr Webb, who got involved after seeing Lewis’ story being shared on Facebook, said: “As a Dad with an 18-year-old myself, I can't begin to imagine how things have been for the whole family so wanted to do what I could do to help.

“Because I work in the insurance industry now, I had an idea who might be the right person to contact with the insurer to see if they could do more.

“I contacted them on Saturday morning and by Saturday afternoon they had got back to me to say they would come up with £10,000 as an ex gratia payment. I just hope it helps to get Lewis the treatment he needs.”

A spokesman from the Post Office said: “We are of course sorry to hear of the accident and our thoughts are with the family. We are providing support and assistance to help them at this difficult time.”

There is also money from Tesco stores across the South West on the way, as they have already raised more than £10,000, the bulk of which has come from the Thornbury branch where Lewis and his mother Heidi work.

Store manager James Fawbert said: “It's been amazing to see the whole Thornbury community come together to support Lewis.

“I am so proud of my team and overwhelmed by the generosity of our customers, colleagues and Lewis' friends, who together have raised over £8,000 in store so far.”

All of this combined means the total raised is set to surpass £50,000.

Heidi, who is out in Greece with her husband Martin and sister Lyndsey, said that getting Lewis home was now simply down to time, while they wait for his body to heal and get over the trauma of what he has been through.

Amazed by the support back home, she said: “We are still so overwhelmed with how our family, friends and the whole community have pulled together.

“We are so extremely grateful to everyone for how they have supported us so well in our time of need.

“I wish I was at home just to see all this hard work and enjoyment everyone is having in raising the money.”

With the online appeal now having surpassed the target, the JustGiving page is set to close, with the money being transferred to a bank account, allowing the funds to be easily accessed when it is needed.

While the initial target has been hit, the family have said that until Lewis is home and safe, they do not know what additonal costs may be incurred and have encouraged any fundraisers yet to take place to go ahead.

The family have said that once Lewis is well again, they would like any surplus funds to be donated to an air ambulance charity.

Payments to the new account, which has been set up by Lewis' two great-aunts, must be made out to "S Turl and A Clark" with the sort code 55 61 38 and account number 76566862.