A GROUP of women are baring nearly all in a charity calendar to raise money to fight female cancers.

Classic Bangers was the idea of Helen Miller, an advanced nurse practitioner at Pickering Medical Practice, whose sister-in-law Robyn died from cancer the day before the photoshoot.

Helen said: “Robyn was only 52 and diagnosed with a rare cancer of the womb in February.”

Following Robyn’s illness and in reaction to other friends’ cancer diagnoses, Helen decided to organise the calendar project with photos taken at Mathewsons car auctioneers in Thornton-le-Dale.

Professional photographers John Anderson and Chris Bryant, who work on the UKTV Bangers and Cash show, which is hosted by Mathewsons, volunteered their services for the shoot.

Helen said: “We posed for each shot with our dressing gowns on and when we were happy with the pose we’d go for it. The photographers were brilliant and didn’t make us feel embarrassed. They were just trying to get a nice photo – the best photo they could.

“The raw grief of losing your sister-in-law the day before took away any nerves. Robyn had just died and I thought, come on, let’s do this.

“It’s for a really, really good cause. We all know someone who has been affected by breast cancer or ovarian cancer.”

Helen and the team hope to raise £5,000 from the sale of the calendar for Women V Cancer, which brings together three women’s cancer charities - Breast Cancer Care, Ovarian Cancer Action and Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust.

The charity calendar, which has been printed for cost price by Pickering’s HPE Print, costs £10 and is available from Mathewsons on 01751 474455 or email sarah@mathewsons.co.uk