Farmers' naked calendar is a smash hit for charity
Picture taken near Colyton - Credit: Cat Down Photography
A calendar featuring naked photos of East Devon farmers and other rural workers has raised more than £20,000 for Brain Tumour Research.
Photographer Cat Down took the pictures in locations across the county including fields near Colyton, a Christmas tree farm near Honiton, and a site in Sidmouth.
Picture taken near Colyton: the photographer put a warning sign up on a nearby footpath - Credit: Cat Down Photography
A total of 84 men and women from Devon were photographed in a range of poses and activities, with only agricultural accessories and props to preserve their modesty.
The calendar, which went on sale just before Christmas last year, has almost sold out, and one copy is currently adorning the stable of an Olympic eventing horse in Los Angeles.
Strangers from across the country have expressed support and gratitude for the fundraiser, with one message on the Naked Calendar Living Our Best Lives Facebook page reading: “I just wanted to say well done for the funds you’ve raised with the calendar. It’s amazing and means such a lot as I have been diagnosed with a tumour this year and know how scary it is and how little funding there is. Thank you.”
Cat said: “I hoped we would raise at least £10,000 for Brain Tumour Research but I never thought we would get to £20k. Everyone has been incredibly generous and we are still receiving orders in the lead up to our celebratory event next month.
“We’ve had a lot of support from members of the countryside community and I’ve got a huge list of thank-yous to everyone who has helped us raise such a significant amount.”
Most Read
- 1 Bank of England warns people have 100 days to use old £20 and £50 notes
- 2 Biker badly hurt in A3052 crash
- 3 Election day for Tiverton and Honiton
- 4 Tiverton and Honiton by-election: What the candidates have had to say
- 5 Count underway at the Tiverton and Honiton by-election
- 6 Man arrested after fire damages multiple Beer buildings
- 7 Axe Vale show last weekend hailed 'a great day out for all'
- 8 Sex offender blames cat death for reoffending
- 9 Vehicle extravaganza to raise funds for Axminster Carnival
- 10 Get on your dancing shoes: Summer ball in Chard
“It’s brought a close community even closer and I can’t thank people enough for their support. Knowing that we are helping in some small way has moved me to tears.”
Melanie Tiley, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the countryside community in Devon for taking the time to put together such a fabulous fundraising idea, it’s been brilliant to watch it grow. To see that the calendar has made it to America is fantastic and helps us raise the awareness that is needed to ensure people who receive a brain tumour diagnosis have the opportunity to ‘live their best lives.’”
