A HOTEL manager is hoping a charity event to collect cash for a Daily Echo appeal will be a blooming success.

David Kingman, who runs the Grand Hotel in Swanage, is hosting a three-day flower festival to raise money for our Let's Help Neil campaign which we set up to help Corporal Neil Heritage.

The 24-year-old, from Hamworthy, lost both his legs above the knee in a suicide bombing in Iraq last November and we want to raise £30,000 to buy him high-tech prosthetic limbs to replace the ones he received on the NHS following the incident.

The appeal has already collected more than £22,000 towards our final target.

Mr Kingman decided to organise the festival, entitled By the Sea, at the hotel after completing a floristry course.

He said: "Neil is a local guy and it just got to me a bit. All the profits will go to Neil's fund, plus a small contribution to St Mary's School's Go For Gold fund to encourage pupils in Swanage to walk to school, which I thought linked in rather well."

The event runs at the hotel in Burlington Road from Saturday May 28 to Monday May 30 and will include exhibits from Bournemouth College and local flower clubs.

Admission is £2 and there will be refreshments throughout the day. There is also a demonstration on Sunday at 3.30pm.

IF you want to donate send cheques, payable to Neil Heritage Fund, to: Lorraine May, Daily Echo, Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, BH2 6HH.