<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">To celebrate 275 years of the Western Gazette the newspaper&nbsp;<span style="background: white;">has pledged its support to The Flying Colours Appeal, which aims to raise &pound;2.4 million for a state-of-the-art women's hospital within the main Yeovil District Hospital.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.5pt; background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We want to encourage our readers to raise at least &pound;275,000 for the next stage of the work.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">We will also pledge to support St Margaret's Hospice and encourage readers to raise the next &pound;275,000 for an amazing charity.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As Yeovil reporter for the Western Gazette I will tackle the Yeovil Half Marathon on Sunday, March 25, 2012 to raise &pound;275 for both charities.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last year was a sad year for all staff at the <strong>Western Gazette</strong> with the tragic death our colleague Howard Milton who died at just 31 years old after a brave fight with cancer.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a reporter I have often written about St Margaret's but it was not until I visited Howard in the last few days of his life at their centre near East Coker that I realised the extent of the amazing work they do and incredible support they offer.&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>