A CHARITY calendar which a group of Bromsgrove women aged over 50 bared all for has raised a massive £34,064.42 for the Primrose Hospice.
The Queen Bs group was started by Bev Nibbs to give women the chance to take part in fun projects – from disco dancing and meditation to canoe trips and mountain climbs.
Bev, aged 63, mooted the idea, inspired by hit Brit flick and stage show Calendar Girls, and local businesses duly came forward to sponsor each month of the calendar.
The firms which stumped up the cash were able to use their business premises for the backdrop for the photo shoots.
A total of 2,000 copies of the calendar were created and thesee were sold for £10 each in and around Bromsgrove and online with the group setting themselves a £30,000 target.
The event to unveil the calendar took place at the Lickey End Social Club, which gave the function room for free, back in September.
There was also a burlesque performance on the night and an auction.
Members of the Queen Bs have now visited the Primrose Hospice to handover the cash.
Bev said: “It was a monumental evening for both the Queen Bs and Primrose to be sharing this time together.
“It was humbling that many of the staff stayed that Friday night well after their working day had finished to celebrate with us.
“There was so much excitement, energy and feelings of pride when we handed over the cheque.
“It has been a fantastic project that involved a lot of hard work, dedication, and commitment from so many QBs, I will always be thankful to all of them and in particular my committee who made it happen.
“We were all unstoppable in our desire to make a difference.
“We have some QBs in our group that have been so well-supported by Primrose, so they were always our chosen charity, a time to give back.
“We are immensely proud that the money raised will pay a specialised nurse salary for a year, in turn this will make such a difference to the lives of many.”
She said she felt the original £30,000 target set by the group was ‘optimistic’ but it was smashed, thanks to so many people supporting the project
“We will always be so grateful to our community for supporting us and ensuring all 2000 calendars were sold.
Visit the ‘Queen B’s’ Facebook page for more on the group.
