The Rochdale ‘Calendar Boys’ baring all to raise money for the NHS

You’ve heard of the Calender Girls, now meet the Calendar Boys.

This brave group of men have stripped off and posed up for a new calendar to raise money for the NHS.

The fundraising scheme is the brainchild of David Woodhead, who says the initial idea started as a “bit of a joke” but ended up raising more than £1,000 in three days.

David Woodhead (right) and a pal posing up for the calender (David Woodhead)

HGV driver David says most of the models are friends from the Bulls Head Golf Society and all are from the Rochdale area.

"We thought ‘if we can get 12 people to do it we can make a calendar’. We ended up with 24." (David Woodhead)

He says: “One of my mates brought it up. We’d had some bottles of wine and we thought ‘if we can get 12 people to do it we can make a calendar’.

David has had more than 24 volunteers (David Woodhead)

“We ended up with 24 people - two on each page.

“We’re still getting volunteers now. We’ve had to say 24 is enough.”

All the money will be donated to the Pennine Acute Hospitals Charity (David Woodhead)

Despite the wealth of volunteers, David says some of the lads were initially a bit nervous about stripping off.

Drop a heart on our special map of gratitude to show your support for our NHS heroes

“Some of them were doing press ups and sits ups" (David Woodhead)

“I’m not really bothered,” he says.

“I certainly didn’t need any beers beforehand.

All the money will be donated to the Pennine Acute Hospitals Charity (David Woodhead)

“But some of them were doing press ups and sits ups.

“I just had half a packet of donuts.”

The mates have raised more than £1,000 so far (David Woodhead)

David said people donated money to get the calendars printed.

A local printer has also created 250 calendars at a discounted rate.

David Woodhead and his mates got together to make a calender to raise money for the NHS (David Woodhead)

The 2021 calendars are now being sold for £5 each via the GoFundMe page here.

All the money will be donated to the Pennine Acute Hospitals Charity.

An array of props have been used (David Woodhead)

“We’ve raised £1,195 so far, which we’ll be donating straight to the NHS,” David says.

“It’s totally exceeded my expectations already.

"To do that money in three days is amazing.

"We only set it up on Thursday evening.”

"All we wanted to do was cheer people up” (David Woodhead)

As a HGV driver, David spends his weeks on the road and his weekends staying at home to comply with the lockdown rules.

“It’s a really difficult time for everyone. All we wanted to do was cheer people up,” he says.

The 'calender boys' (David Woodhead)

“I’m an HGV driver so I’m locked in at the weekends. It was just something to stop the boredom really.

“This virus is not something anyone has really been ready for.

"For me I just get on with my job, there are people far worse off than me.

“The NHS staff have managed it so brilliantly. A few of them have said they’ll put the calendars up in their offices.”