Torchbearer has bright idea to help school

The head of Hope House School for children with autism will run with the Paralympic Torch on a leg on the approach to the Olympic Stadium.

Mrs Terri Westmoreland, who founded the school, will hold an online raffle at £1 a ticket for her torch.

She hopes to sell 250,000 tickets, earning her the £250,000 she needs to finish the school.

Hope House has about 25 children a week attending various clubs the school offers.

The children are taught and play in three bungalows in former homeless accommodation at Barnby Road, Newark, but the remaining nine bungalows and a house on the site still await conversion.

Mrs Westmoreland said: “The idea came from seeing people selling their torches on eBay.

“Rich people are spending thousands of pounds just to add one to their collections.

“This way, a normal person paying £1 has the chance to own one and we can get the money we need to finish the school, which would be fantastic.

“I’m running on the night of August 28 so hopefully there won’t be that many people around to watch.

“For an overweight, asthmatic granny this will be quite a challenge.”

Mrs Westmoreland set up the school in 2006.

She was nominated to carry the torch by her neighbour in Balderton, Julie Crampton, who described her as an inspiration.

Hope House has among its patrons ice skater Christopher Dean, actress Anjili Mohindra, former Nottingham Forest manager Colin Calderwood, former Forest midfield player Kris Commons, and Radio 2 presenter Ken Bruce.