OLD soldiers may be fading away in Burnley - but they are not losing their fighting spirit.

Royal British Legion branch membership fell for the fifth successive year in 1996 - down a massive 15 per cent, leaving just 323 ordinary and associate members.

But there was victory in the branch's Poppy Appeal Campaign - with collections up for the third year on the run - taking this year's total to an all-time record £14,125.

And a great deal more behind-the-scenes work was carried out to help ex-servicemen and their families.

Annual returns just out show branch members made more than 1,200 visits to nursing homes, hospitals, social services centres and homes for the elderly, to ensure ex-service personnel and dependants were safe and well. Nearly 800 calls were made to the elderly and housebound. The branch sent 46 people on convalescence and rest breaks.

A total of 126 welfare and benevolent cases and 100 pension problems were dealt with during the year and the offices were opened and manned on nearly 300 occasions.

But despite all the hard work for others, the branch struggles to keep its own head above water financially, with membership income amounting to an average of just £3-a-week.

And with overheads at the Lindsay Street branch costing £1,200-a-year, the branch is running a weekly deficit of £20-a-week and has to rely on donations from local friends and supporters to survive.

"We are very grateful for he help we receive," says branch spokesman, Eric Midgley.

The branch is mounting a new membership drive to swell its ranks and is also campaigning to own its branch building in perpetuity.

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