Charity calendars hot off the press! Come and get’ em!
Two hotly anticipated calendars supporting national and local charities have just been released!
West Yorkshire firefighters feature in the hugely popular Red Hot Dates calendar, which is now in its 8th year, having become known across the world!
Women from partner organisations and charities have also joined forces for the comeback of the ‘Yorkshire Ladies’ calendar Red Hot Sirens – which is 1940s themed.
Among their ranks is Calderdale’s own Mayor, Councillor Lisa Lambert.
Shot at some of Yorkshire’s familiar locations, the pictures evoke a bygone era of quiffs, puffer dresses and even military girls from World War Two.
The calendar also features women working for WYFRS including Workforce Development Advisor Sarah Gaskin, Emma Greenhalgh from Public Information, Jo Goode and Holly Stuart in Control, not to mention Watch Manager Mick Titmarsh’s other half Helen Lawton.
The ladies also work for Greater Manchester FRS and South Yorkshire FRS as well as Yorkshire Ambulance Service, The Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice, Oscars Theatre Academy and Crossley Ladies Football Club, not to mention Fit 4 Force boot camp and fitness training.
Mayor of Calderdale, Councillor Lisa Lambert, who was pictured at Halifax Town Hall alongside a bevy of beauties, said: “I’m so pleased that I was able to support the charity calendar and become a Red Hot Siren for the day!
“It’s great that following the success of the men’s calendar, women have got their own version, and I love the vintage feel of the shots.
“The Halifax district of Parkinson's UK is actually one of my own charities for the year, so I was really happy to be involved and get glammed up for a good cause.”
The calendars are the brainchild of Station Commander Dom Furby and have together raised over £100,000 since their inception for worthy causes. Each year the calendar supports The Fire Fighters Charity alongside other beneficiaries that have previously included Breast Cancer Care and Prostate Cancer UK, as well as numerous local charities from Laila Milly Foundation, to Candlelighters children’s cancer charity, Oscar Theatre Academy and the Bradford Burns Unit.
For 2016 the men’s calendar will predominantly support Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice and The Fire Fighters Charity.
The women’s calendar will support Parkinson’s UK, Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice, Heartbeat of Sport and The Fire Fighters Charity.
Station Commander Dom Furby said: “We are incredibly proud of the calendars’ achievements.
“The men’s calendar has been hugely popular in the past, raising £17,000 alone last year, but we hope to top that this year! The women’s calendar has returned after a year off and we have tried something new by giving it a 1940s theme and we are really pleased with the result.”
The women’s calendar has been shot at landmarks including Oxenhope Railway Station, the National Emergency Services Museum in Sheffield and the Yorkshire Air Museum in York.
The men’s calendar features a full shift at Wetherby as well as firefighters from Hunslet, Odsal, Stanningley, Fairweather Green, Idle, Halifax, Illingworth and Normanton.
In 2014 Station Commander Furby won a national Spirit of Fire award in honour of his dedication to fundraising for The Fire Fighters Charity.
A Charity 1940s night is being held on Friday, November 6, at The Maven Cocktail Bar in Leeds as one of the launch events.
There will be live vintage music, the chance to dress to impress, meet the calendar guys and girls, take part in an auction and raffle and, of course, buy a calendar!
The event starts at 7.30pm and tickets, costing £5, can be bought from 07715314584.
The calendar can now be bought from various Fire Service events across West Yorkshire, supermarkets and other venues including beauty salons.
The men’s calendar can be bought via www.redhotdates.co.uk whilst the women’s calendar can be bought via the Red Hot Sirens Facebook page www.facebook.com/redhotsirens
Alternatively email Dominic.Furby@westyorksfire.gov.uk or Sarah.Goodall@westyorksfire.gov.uk
Many thanks to photographer Mark Bolton for his ongoing support for the calendars.
