Bournemouth Daily Echo editor Neal Butterworth has been awarded Rotary International’s Humanitarian Reporting Award for 2007.

The award recognises the work of the Daily Echo in raising more than £6m for local charities and worthy causes since Neal took over as editor in 1998.

Neal was presented with a trophy by Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland president Peter Offer at Rotary’s annual conference in Bournemouth.

Neal said: “It’s a very proud honour.

“But I accept it on behalf of all the staff at the Echo who have helped promote our fundraising causes and the readers who have contributed so generously over the years.”

Neal (left) receives the award from Peter

Peter 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 1998, the Daily Echo has added its weight to fundraising for numerous causes, including spearheading the Ladybird Appeal campaign that sought to raise £1.3m 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 £1.6m 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 have benefited from Echo campaigns too, including Neil Heritage, the Hamworthy soldier who lost both legs in an Iraqi suicide bombing. Echo readers raised £35,000 to buy him a pair of high-tech prosthetic limbs.

The Echo is currently 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.