You’ve heard of the Calendar Girls – now welcome Caerphilly Council’s very own Calendar Men.
A group of maintenance workers from the local authority have stripped off their overalls to star in their own charity calendar alongside ex-international footballer and cancer survivor John Hartson.
The calendar titled ‘Grab your man’s life by the balls’ forms part of a wider campaign created by Caerphilly County Borough Council to raise awareness of testicular cancer.
The campaign includes a DVD and teaching pack featuring John Hartson and has been successfully rolled out to secondary schools across Wales.
Gary Rogers, from the council’s building maintenance team, said: “Having suffered from testicular cancer, I along with my colleagues, some of whom have also suffered from the disease, felt that we would like to get involved in the campaign.
“I was delighted when the authority shared my vision to allow us to create a ‘men at work’ style calendar to raise money for an excellent cause.”
The proceeds of the calendar, which is aimed at women, will be donated to the John Hartson Foundation which supports organisations who offer treatment and those individuals affected by cancer.
The footballer, who played 51 times for Wales scoring 14 goals, said: “I am pleased to be working alongside Caerphilly County Borough Council once again as part of their innovative testicular cancer awareness campaign ‘Grab your life by the Balls’.
“While women may not be the traditional target audience for communicating messages of this illness to, women do play a key role in encouraging their men to check for any abnormalities and to seek medical advice if necessary.”
The calendar was made possible thanks to sponsors Fleur de Lys Photographic Studio and Cats Solutions print group.
The A5 desktop calendar is priced at £4.99. To buy a copy email communicationsunit@caerphilly.gov.uk or alternatively call 01443 863218.