A HOST of rugby stars, actors and television presenters have bared all for a cheeky WI-style calendar shoot in aid of charity.

The brave male models, who include England international and Bradford Bulls player Sam Burgess and vet and BBC wildlife presenter Steve Leonard, posed with strategically-placed rugby balls, towels and even branches to produce the 2009 calendar in aid of the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.

The project is the idea of Steve Rose, a civil engineer and freelance photographer from Reeth, who read about the Millennium Trust's campaign to plant more trees in the national park to help stop soil erosion and help combat flooding.

He said: "Most visitors to the Yorkshire Dales aren't really aware of the work the trust does, and I wanted to change that.

"The Dales are such a huge part of life for residents and tourists alike, and I wanted to do all I could to help. Photography was the only was I could think of to do my bit."

Mr Rose contacted rugby clubs around the country and gradually word about the project spread. "Some people were wary at first," he said. "But when they saw what a good cause it was they really got into it, and in the end we all had quite a laugh."

The Millennium Trust is a registered charity, formed in 1997, which aims to support the environmental, social and economic well-being of the Yorkshire Dales.

The calendar, costs £9.99 and is available from the trust at www.ydmt.org or by calling 01524-251004.