Press Release

ROTARY HUMANITARIAN REPORTING AWARDS WINNER ANNOUNCED

17 April 2007

Rotary International Humanitarian Reporting Award  2007 was presented today to  Neal Butterworth, Editor, The Bournemouth Echo.

Presenting the award Peter L Offer, President of  Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland said “This award recognises outstanding humanitarian-based news reporting and the contribution made by journalists in helping the general public better understand humanitarian, health, education and cross-cultural issues. Neal is a very worthy winner as his work has highlighted many humanitarian global issues over many years both locally and internationally.”

 Since becoming editor in 1998, Neal Butterworth's campaigning Daily Echo has added its weight to fundraising for numerous causes, including spearheading the Ladybird Appeal campaign that sought to raise £1.3 million to build and equip a dedicated breast care unit at Poole Hospital. In one of the most successful campaigns ever run by a local newspaper, within 18 months an astonishing £1.6 million was raised.
Since then the Echo has raised millions for campaigns such as the Youth Cancer Trust, the Gamma Camera, the Fiona Appleyard, the Jigsaw and the Domino appeals, and has responded to emergency appeals by Unicef for the victims of the tsunami and earthquake disasters.
Individuals, too have benefited from Echo campaigns under the editorship of Neal Butterworth, who is always amazed by the kind-heartedness of readers in responding to heart-wrenching appeals. These include a 12-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who was trapped in a silent world… until the Echo helped raise £13,500 to buy equipment that made a dream come true.
And they include Neil Heritage, the Hamworthy soldier who lost both legs in an Iraqi suicide bombing. No less than £35,000 was raised to buy him a pair of high-tech prosthetic limbs.
Today the Echo is busy campaigning to support fundraising for the second phase of the Royal Bournemouth Hospital's Jigsaw Appeal as well as the Butterfly Appeal that aims to open a centre at Poole for head and neck cancer patients.Under Neal Butterworth's editorship, the Daily Echo has made a remarkable difference to people's lives.

Rotary International is a worldwide association of men and women who collectively aim to provide humanitarian service and resources to the community at local, national and international levels and who work for goodwill and peace in the world.  Rotary Foundation’s “PolioPlus” project, for example, has contributed substantially towards the polio eradication programme.

To arrange interviews with Peter Offer  or for more information contact Judith Diment 01628 672965 or 07860 162313
Email judith@thediments.co.uk

www.rotary-ribi.org