Colwall's own Calendar Girls celebrate a successful charity endeavour, aiming to raise money for Breast Cancer UK, inspired by the hit film in which a group of Women's Institute members raise funds with the sale of a nude calendar...

It all started with a throwaway comment. Chrissy Dunlop and Julie Timberlake are on the committee at the Royal British Legion in Colwall, near the Malvern Hills. They were chatting about creating a fundraising event when Julie said, "What about Calendar Girls?" and the idea was born. 

Inspired by the film Calendar Girls and by the Legion manager's son, who recently completed a three-day charity walk for Mind, they decided to raise funds for Breast Cancer UK. 

The pair set about recruiting for the calendar, and 12 local women, with ages ranging from 32 to 78, agreed to take part. One person had to drop out shortly before the shoot after having her tonsils removed, but a backup stepped in. 

Once the team was assembled, they looked for a photographer to take the shoot. Malvern professional Lisa (Lisa Roberts Photography) agreed to a reduced rate after she learned it was for charity. Local business sponsorship covered all the photography and printing costs, with each business contributing at least £100 in exchange for logo placement. 

On the day, the photo shoot was done inside the Legion, with curtains closed and doors locked for privacy. The calendar's theme showcases the Legion's lively social side - bingo, live music, skittles, pool and quizzes - as opposed to the old-fashioned 'cloth caps and medals' stereotype. 

The resulting calendar is in an A3 landscape format, with photographs, breast-cancer facts, personal bios, the calendar, and sponsor logos. One thousand will be printed, with more if demand is high, and they will sell for £15 each. The launch will include a screening of Calendar Girls, a food truck, and a live band.

If you would like to organise your own fundraiser for Breast Cancer UK, find out how you can support here. Every event, every challenge, every pound raised helps fund vital research and education so that more people can reduce their risk of developing breast cancer.