A NEWPORT woman is appealing for help to set up a charitable trust which would see her late husband's unique collection of military memorabilia safeguarded for the future.

Anne Gatehouse, 67, is currently keeping the massive collection of photographs, music and instruments from more than 1,800 bands around the world at her Newport home.

But she hopes the collection, believed to be one of the largest of its kind in the world, will soon have a secure future and a new home where it can be shared with the people of Gwent.

Mrs Gatehouse's husband Jerome died in 1994, aged just 49, after suffering from heart disease.

The former Ebbw Vale steelworker, collected the wide-ranging memorabilia over 30 years.

He continued writing to bands in countries such as Chile, Australia and Fiji to ask for memorabilia until he died.

"His aim was to have a photograph of every military band in the world. He had a great passion for military bands and loved ceremonial events," Mrs Gatehouse said.

The massive collection includes 18,000 images of bands around the globe, 4,000 records, tapes and CDs, as well as instruments, including a bugle from the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

Mrs Gatehouse, secretary of Friends of Newport Transporter Bridge, has been given the go-ahead to form a charitable trust and has lined up five trustees.

Now she needs someone with business experience and a passion for all-things military to chair the Trust and push for the collection to be housed at the former Ebbw Vale steelworks site where Jerome worked.

"I am worried about what will become of the collection if anything happens to me.

"I want it to have a secure future because it is very unique and Jerome spent so much time putting it together.

"If we can get a chairman then we can get things moving," she said.

The collection was housed at the Empire and Commonwealth Museum in Bristol until last summer before it was taken down because of museum reorganisation.

Mrs Gatehouse can be contacted on 01633781612.