A BAND is appealing for people to 'save their silver in order to save our brass'.

Vital repairs are needed to Haslingden and Helmshore Brass Band's practice room at Wells Street but the band's coffers are almost empty.

So they have launched a campaign urging people to save their spare change in pots to help them raise more than £4,500 for the building work.

Their fund-raising drive starts tonight with a concert in Accrington at Antley Methodist Church in conjunction with Great Harwood Male Voice Choir.

Members of the band will be handing out pots to the public to save their silver coins in to help the band's appeal.

The roof of the band room on Wells Street needs drastic repair work and more cash is needed to fix the rest of the building.

The band will also be playing at the reopening of Blackpool's Greenwoods Menswear shop on Friday and instead of paying a fee, the clothing company is giving the band made-to measure jackets so they can walk-out in style at future events.

Greenwoods was founded in 1860 by James Greenwood who opened his first shop in Westgate, Bradford, and one of the next shops to open was at Deardengate, in Haslingden, but that shop closed about ten years ago. The band was originally two - Haslingden Brass Band and Helmshore Brass Band - but they amalgamated about 30 years ago.

Press officer Kath Thacker said: "The bands have been in existence for more than 100 years.

"We have been told that the roof on the bandroom will not survive another winter and so we are hoping to get the money raised so we can do the work in the summer to make it wind and water tight for the winter.

"Once the roof is repaired we also need to replace the doors and windows. At every concert we perform we will be handing out the small pots and asking people to save their loose change.

"At the Holden Arms, on Grane Road, the pub is holding an event every month for us and at the first one, a fireworks evening £250 was raised. Grane Road residents have also promised to support us."

The band completes in many events all over the North West and travels further afield for national competitions.

Members of the senior band are hoping to win promotion to the second division of the brass band league.

The senior band has 27 members and the training band has 15. They are aged between eight and retired but most of the senior band are in their 20s.