Our successful Change It! campaign scoops another prestigious gong

8:51am Friday 23rd March 2007

THE PRESS campaign to change the law on child kidnappers has scooped a top national award - making it a hat-trick of industry gongs.

Our hard-hitting Change It! fight to protect children from kidnappers by closing a loophole in the law won Campaign of the Year at the Newspaper Society Awards in Birmingham last night.

It is the third major accolade for Change It!, which has already scooped Campaign of the Year at the Newsquest Editoral and Newspaper Sales Awards and the Yorkshire Press Awards.

We fought off competition from other major regional newspapers, including the Liverpool Echo and the Belfast Telegraph.

Kevin Booth, editor of The Press, said: "The success of the campaign is the result of a lot of hard work by the editorial team at The Press but we cannot overlook the contribution of the most important person of all - Natalie Hick - and the tremendous support from her mother, June, who have been brave enough to step aside from the anonymity normally afforded to someone in similar circumstances.

"In acknowledging this national award, I think it's relevant to remember the words of Sarah Payne's mother Sara, who said that as a result of this change in the law countless children will be protected forever'.

"There can be no greater outcome."

Courageous Natalie Hick played a key role in The Press' Change It! campaign for a loophole in the law to be closed.

The campaign was launched last year after a man who tried to abduct her from a York bus stop was jailed for four years, but a judge was unable to put him on the register - preventing the authorities from monitoring him on his release.

Natalie waived her right to anonymity to support the campaign, and even went down to the Home Office in London to hand over a petition signed by thousands of readers.

Our photographer Anthony Chappel-Ross was also nominated in the Young Photographer of the Year category for the third year running at last night's awards. He was runner-up this year, having picked up the main prize on two previous occasions. Mr Booth added: "It is a fantastic achievement to be nominated for this national award three years on the bounce. Anthony is a great young talent."

The gongs are the latest in a long line of prestigious awards for The Press.

Political reporter Gavin Aitchison was named Trainee Reporter of the Year at the Newsquest Editoral and Newspaper Sales Awards earlier this year and The Press was also commended in the Video Clip of the Year category. Sports reporter Claire Hughes won Sports Writer of the Year at the Yorkshire Press awards last November.

Speaking up for you, our readers

Some of our campaigns:

• Yes! To Clean Air - Our campaign aims to help businesses become smoke-free. We teamed up with local health chiefs to make sure people can live and work in an environment protected from the dangers of second-hand smoke.

• Bin It! - We campaigned for the retention of weekly household waste pick-ups which were scrapped by City of York Council. More than 7,000 residents signed a petition backing our stance.

• Stop The Highway Robbery - We launched our campaign in response to parking charges and restrictions imposed by the local council in York.

• Let Your Doctor Decide - We are calling on North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust to scrap its judge and jury' panel to vet patients.

• Guardian Angels - Our appeal aims to raise £300,000 for two life-saving high dependency rooms at York Hospital's children's ward. We have already hit the £140,000 mark.

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