EMPLOYERS from across East Lancashire could be gunning for glory at a special Army fundraiser next month.

As part of the North West Employers Invitation Range Day, companies are invited to attend a special training camp in Altcar, Merseyside, on July 10, where they will have the rare opportunity to fire some of the Army's state-of-the-art weapons.

The ground-breaking charity event has been partly organised by the 2nd Battalion of The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, which contains many soldiers from East Lancashire and which served in Iraq last year.

Companies will be able to submit as many four-man teams as they like, providing each team raises a minimum of £500.

And in return, they will be taught by specially trained soldiers from the infantry battalion how to fire a range of weapons, including the SA.80 standard infantry automatic rifle, the sniper rifle and the General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG).

Other activities include inter-team competitions in clay pigeon shooting, paint-balling and marksman-ship exercises.

The aim of the event is to raise money for the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF), which assists soldiers, former soldiers and their families in times of need Approximately one in five of all British soldiers hail from the North West, meaning a great deal of the funds raised will return to the region.

Lieutenant Colonel John Hacking, of the ABF, who lives in Accrington, said: "This event is the first of its a kind and a new way of generating funds. It's a great way to get involved with the community locally and a real departure from the previous curry nights and dinners we've had in the past.

"The team-building exercises are a great way to encourage leadership, and by using the weapons employers can see what we're up against."

Chief Executive of East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Michael Damms, believes the event could benefit some East Lancashire companies. He said: "We'd certainly invite companies to have a good look at it. But the success will depend on whether the business community in East Lancashire can see parallels between training company staff and completing military exercises."

The event will end with a black-tie mess dress regimental dinner where prizes will be awarded to the winning teams by the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside, Dame Lorna Muirhead.