A MIDDLEWICH woman whose brother was killed in a rocket attack in the RAF took part in an exhibition in his honour for the Remembrance weekend.


Elaine Fairley, who works as a teaching assistant at Wimboldsley Primary School, lost her brother Peter McFerran in 2007, while serving as a Senior Aircraftman in the RAF Regiment.


Elaine joined other members of the Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Families Association in staging an exhibition.


The SSAFA’s Bereaved Siblings Support Group led the exhibition to remember those who were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.


The special exhibition included poems, paintings, body-art, spoken word and film tributes to lost loved ones.


Elaine said: “The SSAFA support group has helped me by allowing me to be me. For those couple of days we are together I am the old me, the sister, the daughter, the friend, before I head back to the reality of life, before the mask is replaced.


“The artwork that I have created is a snapshot of my thoughts, emotions and feelings at that particular moment in time.


“It has helped by allowing me to express those emotions in a way that I wouldn't normally be able to.


“It has also helped by bringing to the forefront of my mind the good memories that are so often lost.”


The group supports young adults who have lost a brother or sister who served in the military either through combat or non combat situations.


The exhibition, which was held at SSAFA Central Office, included work by 13 people and several ‘live’ performances.


Robert Templeton, SSAFA director health and social care operations UK, said: “Everybody deals with tragedy and trauma in different ways and we don’t claim to have all the answers, but this group provides young people with a safe, confidential and independent environment where they can share information, advice and mutual support.


“Many people find the creative process helps them to express how they feel about their loss and this exhibition allows the siblings to pay their own personal tributes to their brothers and sisters at a particularly difficult time of year.”