A regional press editor who donates fees from his public speaking engagements to charity has been given a lunch in his honour.

Teesside-based Butterwick hospice put on the lunch in his honour and presented Northern Echo editor Peter Barron with a special achievement certificate to mark the £10,000-milestone for his donations.

The public speaking fees are only a part of his contribution to caring for terminally-ill youngsters.

Peter’s Dad At Large column in the Echo has been turned into three books and £1 from every copy sold also goes to the hospice – so far bringing in a further £8,000.

The editor is in high demand as a public speaker, especially because of his column, and the fees he has been offered have ranged from £10 to, on one occasion for a national conference, £1,500.

Peter said: “My column and the books are all about children so I wanted a children’s charity to benefit. Given our relationship with the Butterwick Hospice, it seemed the natural thing to to.”

Hospice fund-raising manager Ray Laidler said: “This is a magnificent achievement and contribution to the work of the children’s hospice. This has not been a one-off because Peter has been making these donations since June 2001.

“In his own time, he has also extended his talks to places as far away as Leeds and this is just another example of his commitment when you take into account the travel to and from venues.”

David Kelly, managing director of Newsquest (North East), said: “Peter’s commitment to front-of-house work is possibly unmatched by any other editor of a daily newspaper title.

“The North East’s main children’s hospice is very important to The Northern Echo – which helped to raise £500,000 to get it started – and Peter’s commitment to it has never flagged.”