THE St Helens Star has done it again!

The influence of your favourite local newspaper has stretched across continents to encourage a St Helens woman now living in Hong Kong, to make a donation to a local charity.

Special needs teacher Julie Shroff (formerly Cunningham) was spending Saturday morning catching up with all the latest news from back home on the Star's Internet website when she spotted an article which really touched her heart.

The Busibodies Summer Ball and Dinner, as reported in the Star has been organised by a group of local housewives in aid of Willowbrook Hospice. It will be held at St Helens Town Hall on Saturday, July 1 with dancing and entertainment provided.

And because Julie (44) was unable to attend in person, she did the next best thing -- make a substantial donation to the hospice.

Event organiser and Busibodies secretary, Wendy Leatherbarrow couldn't believe it when Julie phoned her -- because of the eight hour time difference, it was still Friday evening in the UK. She said: "The ink can hardly have been dry on the newspaper. I had only just read the story in the paper myself and I was amazed that someone on the other side of the world had already seen the Star and wanted to make a donation to Willowbrook. We are very grateful to Julie for such a generous gesture."

Former Cowley pupil Julie, who lived in Sherdley Park, taught at Merton Bank Infants, Allanson Street and Rivington Road schools as well a brief stint in Cyprus teaching children of British Forces before flying out to Hong Kong in 1988. There, she met and married Nosh Shroff, gave birth to daughter Soraya six years ago and now works as a special needs teacher and early needs co-ordinator.

And it turns out she had a very special reason for her hospice donation.

She told Wendy: "My mum died of cancer last year and although she never made it into the hospice, I know what wonderful work they do. I will be visiting the UK later this summer with Nosh and Soraya but it will be too late to attend the ball and I wanted to contribute something to such a worthy cause."

She added: "I look forward to reading the St Helens Star every week on the Internet. It's how I like to spend Saturday mornings. So often there are articles about old Cowley names or other people I know. It's nice to keep up with local news and even my daughter Soraya likes to read the paper with me."