A GROUP of Dale women have bared all for charity by creating their own naked calendar.

The Weardale Calendar Girls 2019 project started out as a ‘dare’ in a pub in Stanhope with hairdresser and businesswoman Jackie Brown.

Mrs Brown, a cancer survivor, was organising a ladies’ day fundraiser for Cancer Research UK when she asked some local men to take part in a Full Monty piece following the success of the BBC show The Real Full Monty, earlier this year.

The men agreed, but only if the women would take on their own Calendar Girls project too.

Mrs Brown, 43, said the idea snowballed from there and before she knew it, a team of 27 ladies had bravely volunteered for the cause.

“I suffered cancer last year and I’m now in remission form Hodgkin’s Lymphoma,” she said. “I was diagnosed after four months and was Stage 3 when they caught it so I had to have an aggressive form of chemo but I’m now out of the other side so wanted to give something back.”

Roping in local businesses to sponsor specific months; Mrs Brown said the experience had been a “hoot” and there was already talk of doing another calendar next year.

Scenes include enjoying a drink outside the local pub in the snow, getting creative in the local greengrocers and showing off their shooting skills on the fell.

The mum-of-two said: “We had an absolute hoot and laughed from start to finish.

“I love all the pictures and we used things like flowers and oranges and pineapples. We’ve had brilliant feedback.”

She added: “I’m very proud of all the ladies and loved the spirit in it. I could not have asked for more.”

Mrs Brown had 400 calendars made ahead of Stanhope Show and has already had to order another 200 as they flew off the shelves in businesses across the town.

So far the group have raised more than £3,000 for the charity which helps fund life-saving research into the disease.

“It’s done really well and I was chuffed to bits when it sold out; I’m thrilled,” she said.

Durham County Councillor for Weardale, John Shuttleworth, applauded everyone for taking part and said it was a great cause that he hoped everyone would get behind.

He said: "I think it's a brilliant idea and you could not have got a better cause.

"Fair play to everybody who took part in it."

He joked: "I went into the solicitors the other day and said I didn't recognise them with their clothes on."

Cllr Shuttleworth said he had seen the calendars flying off the shelves and 'warned' Mrs Brown she would need to order another 1,000 copied once this article was published in The Northern Echo.

The sold-out ladies day will take place on September 23, with more than 200 women looking forward to a fun-filled afternoon when the men will keep up their end of the bargain.

The calendars cost £10 each and can be purchased in several businesses in Stanhope or ordered by emailing Mrs Brown on jackiemambo@hotmail.co.uk or messaging her on Facebook.