THE idea for an Acorns Children's Hospice Trust came to fruition in 1988 when the first unit was opened by Princess Diana in the Birmingham suburb of Selly Oak.

Since then one has bloomed in Walsall and a £4m unit is due to open in 2004 on Worcester's Bath Road.

It all began when John Overton, now the charity's chief executive, was chatting to the Bishop of Birmingham, a fellow governor at a special school, about facilities for life-limited children.

After asking around a few people, they realised there was little in the way of out-of-school opportunities for the youngsters, and even less support for parents.

So the idea for Acorns was firmly planted.

"Nobody knew how great the need was, and it all grew so rapidly," says John. "We found the demand was so great we needed to set up a far more comprehensive organisation.

"In 1997, we opened Acorns Walsall, which we took over from another charity. First it had five beds and then we opened it fully in 1999."

They knew they'd hit on something that was going to be very big. They always knew there was a big demand in the three counties, because families in west Herefordshire at the moment have to take their sick children on the enormous journey to Barnstaple, in north Devon.

"It's a very emotive topic and something that people can do something about because children's hospices are now a proven service."

By 1990, John, a former chartered accountant, had become the charity's commercial director, before being appointed chief executive in 1994.

He's deservedly proud of the charity's work and points out that he has travelled the world to advise on the topic.

"We have 20 years experience," he says. "There are 26 children's hospices open throughout the UK, and most of them have visited Acorns as one of their principle models."

But the one thing John would dearly like to change is the amount of cash contributed by the Government.

"We're always trying to get the Government to give us a little more support," he said. "We only get 12 per cent statutory funding.

"The average amount for a hospice works out as just 5 or 6 per cent of the charity's total need."

The Worcester unit will cost £4m to build and equip, then £1.4m a year to maintain.

Despite the huge task, John's confident that people throughout the three counties will recognise what a vital service the hospice offers and help raise the cash.

Money already comes in from a hospice lottery played by about 5,000 people and volunteers canvass door-to-door to publicise the units.

There are also 33 charity shops across the West Midlands and Gloucestershire, including one in Worcester's Mealcheapen Street.

It's a massive job, but the rewards of succeeding are even bigger.