MONEY raised by an opera with a First World War theme has been presented to a Pembrokeshire-based military charity at a ceremony which also commemorated 17 men from a village who gave their lives in the conflict.

The opera, WW1: a Village at War was the brainchild of Llangwm Local History Society and was written by Llangwm composer Samuel Howley and librettist Peter George.

It was adapted from performances in 2014 marking the centenary of the start of the war and in 2016 commemorating the Battle of the Somme, with the addition of a video backdrop with footage of WW1 battle scenes and film of Llangwm settings mentioned in the story.

This latest performance, on November 10 at the Follies Theatre, raised profits of £4,000 from sales of tickets and souvenir programmes.

The cheque was presented by LLHS chair Jane Mills to Lieutenant Commander David Griggs MBE RN, head of SSAFA’s local branch.

Lt Cdr Griggs, in thanking LLHS members, pointed out that SSAFA was Britain’s oldest military charity, founded in 1885 and the only one in operation during WW1.

“We don’t get much publicity because the people we help don’t always want to talk about it”, he said.

He added that their eight volunteers were currently looking after 93 veterans in Pembrokeshire, with wide ranging problems.

“We were told about one man, aged 50, who’d had a serious stroke.

“The local authority wanted to put him in a home which was strongly opposed by his wife.

“We managed to raise some money from forces benevolent funds but it wasn’t enough. Then we discovered he’d worked for a major insurance company who donated the rest of the money needed to keep him at home, tens of thousands of pounds.

“At the other end of the scale, we provided £8 for special cutlery for a veteran with serious arthritis in his hands.”

Jane Mills said that LLHS had organised three projects marking the centenary of the war - the opera, an exhibition of WW1 artefacts, and services throughout the year commemorating the 17 Llangwm men who died on the anniversaries of their deaths.