Launched by The Northern Echo and the Butterwick Hospice, Put Your Foot In It aims to raise £750,000 to build a new centre.

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Comment

SOMETHING positive can always be found in bad news if you look hard enough. Ten years ago, when Princess Diana died and that huge wave of emotion swept across the country, newspapers were full of grief, bitterness and recriminations.

The Daily Express, in particular, has been Diana daft ever since. Every angle, every barmy conspiracy theory has been turned into a front page lead to the extent that it became a bit of a joke.

But, here in the North-East, something positive did come out of the tragedy - the Butterwick Children's Hospice at Stockton.

At the time, the North-East didn't have a hospice for children. Those unfortunate enough to need one had to travel outside the region, with all the additional hardship that involved.

The foundations had been laid for the Butterwick Children's Hospice, but the money had run out and I remember thinking that Diana's death had provided a glorious opportunity - let's shamelessly use the nation's affection for the Princess to build a children's hospice in her memory.

We launched our appeal, the money poured in - £500,000 in nine months - and the Butterwick Children's Hospice was opened by Take That's Gary Barlow on September 18, 1998.

It is a wonderful, humbling place and I consider it to be one of the proudest achievements in The Northern Echo's illustrious history.

LAST week, I hot-footed it to Stockton to take part in the latest phase of the Butterwick hospice story.

I'd been asked to go to the hospice to help launch a new campaign to raise £750,000 for a twostorey extension which will provide rooms for additional therapies, counselling facilities and a play room for the children.

The campaign is called "Put Your Foot In It" because businesses are being invited to buy a square foot of the new building for £100, via a new website created by the new media team at The Northern Echo.

To kick it all off, I was one of three people asked to turn up and stick my foot in a tray of plaster of Paris.

I have been known to put my foot in it from time to time, but never like this and appeals manager Trevor Newlove warned us to be careful because the plaster would set within 60 seconds.

The foot impressions are to be kept for posterity and incorporated into the new building.

If I'm honest, I'd always fancied a marble bust - but I suppose I'll have to make do with a plaster foot.

I KNOW I'm setting myself up for a fall by mentioning this, but sloppy English is an increasing reason for editors to be on their toes.

Here's an extract from the Daily Mail's coverage of the Princess Diana inquest and her relationship with heart surgeon Hasnat Khan.

"The pair split up the month before Diana died in a clandestine night-time meeting in Battersea Park, South London."

Startling news indeed. There was me thinking she'd been killed in a car crash in Paris.

FOOTNOTE: To guard against getting stuck in the aforementioned plaster of Paris, the Butterwick's delightful marketing manager, Jackie Leighton, was tasked with massaging our feet with organic olive oil. (Obviously, I'd have refused if it hadn't been organic. ) She did it so soothingly and expertly that I think the Butterwick could make a fortune by offering her services with the suggested slogan: Jackie's Foot Massage - It's Good For the Sole.

Just a thought.

Please put your best foot forward and visit the website at www. putyourfootinit. org. uk

1:38pm Monday 28th January 2008

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