FRESH faces arrived at Winton Park last week to be greeted by Ardrossan Winton Rovers chairman Pat Breen.

But it was not a new first-team signing walking through the doors at Anderson Terrace - rather the organisers of a popular charity event.

The 'It's a Knockout' event has been organised in Ardrossan by locally based charity Marion's Still Smiling for several years now.

The event has typically taken place at the Memorial Field in the town - but this year sees it move to a new home at Winton Park.

It's a Knockout will return on Saturday, July 22, at 1pm bringing plenty of fun and laughter to the town.

The event will see teams compete, in fancy dress, over and through an inflatable obstacle course - with soapy water adding to the fun.

Ten teams of adults will compete for the title, looking to wrest the prize from SW Fitness, who have won it for the past two years - though win, lose or draw, there will still be plenty fun for all the family.

A kids zone will be set up at the ground allow kids to "play all day" for only £10.

Marion's Still Smiling was set up following the death of much loved Saltcoats woman Marion Callaghan.

Marion lost her battle with lung cancer in 2014, the same year the charity was set up, and her sister-in-law Maureen and daughter Kirstin are still working hard to ensure Marion's legacy lives on.

The foundation works in partership with the Ayrshire and Arran Health Board, Crosshouse Hospital and the Glasgow Children's Hospital.

They raise funds to send patients identified by the charity on short breaks to give them some respite from their rigorous, and often gruelling, cancer treatment.

Maureen said: "This very small gesture, in the grand scheme of things, is appreciated by the patients and their families and feedback encourages us to continue.

"Getting away as a family, forgetting treatment, appointments, doctors and hospital life in general, is beneficial to the patient and their families as fighting cancer affects them all and we know this getaway is appreciated by everyone.

"Sadly we also hear that some patients from both hospitals gain their wings, but we take comfort in knowing they had some family time together.

"We are a small family-run foundation, with no CEOs or employees taking a wage, so all our funds go back into supporting the patients.

"Myself and Kirstin both have full time jobs, so any work for MSS is all done at night. It really is a labour of love."

The funds raised by the charity help fund trips to family favourites such as Flamingo Land, Lego Land and Centre Parcs - and this year the hospitals have started organising day trips for families who have children who are too ill to travel far away from hospital.

For more information about the charity and this month's event, you can visit the charity's Facebook page - facebook.com/marionsstillsmiling.