I WOULD like to thank the people of St Helens for their magnificent generosity in donating more than £1,000 to a collection by the St Helens branch of the RAFA during their Battle of Britain street collection.

These funds are used to assist us in helping ex-servicemen and women and their dependants in many ways, including respite breaks, mobility-type vehicles, stair lifts, house repairs and cost of living grants.

The “active” members of the branch are not in the first flush of youth and are, with a couple of exceptions, between their mid-60s and mid-90s. We would not be able to do this work without the enthusiastic assistance of our adopted ATC cadets, or as they are known, Royal Air Force Air Cadets, of 969 (St Helens) Sqn. These young people are a credit to the town and are rightly applauded when proudly marching in Veterans Day and Remembrance Sunday Parades. They are an asset we should treasure.

When they are not parading in public they are learning many skills to help them to become the kind of citizens that any community requires to fulfil its greatest potential.

On parade nights they can be found in classes learning not only airmanship, navigation, meteorology, and principles of flight, which can enable them to become glider pilots before they are old enough to have a driving licence, but that most worthwhile of pursuits, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, which is founded on the principles of community awareness.

Just as the RAFA has a welfare officer, our Air Cadets have a welfare committee to help them raise the necessary funds to allow them to carry out their training programme.

I know the civilian committee are always happy to meet new prospective members. You don’t have to be an ex-serviceman or woman, or to be an ex-cadet, but they are of course most welcome. Maybe you are retired and want something worthwhile to do or are an ex-cadet who would like to give back to the squadron some of the time and effort given to you when you were young. I might be accused of being slightly prejudiced, being their president, but These young people deserve our utmost help to allow them to release their full potential. It's good to applaud them on the streets, but they need and deserve your help in a more direct way also.

I can be contacted either at the Unison Club on any Tuesday evening or by email at joepepper@virginmedia.com

Wg Cdr Joe Pepper RAFVR(T) rtd.

Hon President 969 (St Helens) RAFAC Hon Welfare Officer St Helens branch RAFA