Officers and boys from 1st Kilbirnie Boys Brigade held a coffee morning and war exhibition at the Bridgend Community Centre recently.

Instead of raising funds for themselves, every penny raised was donated – all £300 of it – to SSAFA (The Soldiers’, Sailors’ and Airmens’ Families Association).

“We held this event three weeks before Remembrance Day because we wanted our boys to remember the servicemen and women who did come home but whose lives were changed forever.

"Some Remembrance commemorations focus only on the loss of life but we want to remember the living too,” said company captain, Allan Wright.

At the exhibition, there was a table showing pictures and information from World War I, with another from World War II and also a table to commemorate more recent conflicts.

1st Kilbirnie Boys Brigade would like to thank the Royal British Legion from Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston for the loan of a number of artefacts including uniforms and helmets from various eras.

There was a table of remembrance showing pictures of the town’s war memorials and the names listed on them.

Some of the people named on war memorial were ex-BB’s themselves.

Also at the event were a number of craft stalls selling everything from cupcakes to hand made jewellery to cushions to model aircraft and birthday cards.

Organised by Fiona Gibson, she is now working on a coffee morning event for SSAFA to be held in Largs Clark Memorial Church on Saturday December, 13.

SSAFA, work to provide lifelong support for members of our country’s armed forces and their families, past and present.

In SSAFA Ayrshire, they have 12 caseworkers to cover the three local authority areas of North, East and South Ayrshires and in 2013, they had 240 applicants and disbursed £204,000 in grants from funders, both military and civilian.

“If you know someone who is in difficulty and they need help, ask them this question: ‘Are you a veteran?’ "If they are a veteran or if their mother/father, brother/sister or son/daughter was a veteran, even if they served only for one day, then SSAFA may be able to help,” said SSAFA Ayrshire Chairman, Capt. Graham Piggott, RN (Ret’d).

Among the people who came along to support the event were veterans from local Royal Observer Corps posts at Dunlop and Skelmorlie, Kilbirnie councillor Anthea Dickson and Cunninghame North MSP, Kenneth Gibson.

Mr Gibson said: “I was delighted to be asked to come along and support this event.

"I think it is fantastic that the boys have put so much effort into today’s event to help the veterans and it also gives them a new insight into why they will be on parade in a few weeks’ time.”