Veterans raise thousands by stripping for calendar
Members of the Bridlington Veterans' Coffee Morning Group bared all for a charity calendar
- Published
A group of veterans has raised £8,885 for charity by taking their clothes off.
Members of the Bridlington Veterans’ Coffee Morning Group posed naked for a calendar.
The money has been handed over to Parkinson’s UK.
Mike Rubery, who is Mr October, said it was “great fun” and they have been inspired to think of other fundraising ideas.
The calendar was produced to support two members of the group who are living with the disease.
One of those is Ray Francis, who is Mr December. He told BBC Radio Humberside’s Jericho Keys: “I am debilitated by the disease.
"My speech is slurred but I am coping quite well with it.
“When I saw the cheque I was surprised at how much we have raised.”
'We all went for it'
The money raised is going to the local branch of Parkinson’s UK, which is in Scarborough and incorporates Bridlington.
Mr Rubery added: “It’s going to go towards things like research, to hopefully find a cure for this awful disease, and also towards taking people on trips and buying facilities.
“We have the coffee mornings regularly and it was my wife who came up with the idea.
“She said ‘wouldn’t it be nice if we could raise some money for charity, why not take your clothes off?’
"We all went for it.”
Mike Rubery was Mr October and says the veterans' group has grown to around 80 members
According to Parkinson's UK, there are 153,000 people living with the disease in the UK, with more than 12,000 in Yorkshire and the Humber.
Emma Ford, of the Scarborough and District Branch, said: "This support is so needed.
"The funds raised will go directly to helping people through our branch wellbeing fund that allows members to access a range of support to help with everyday life.
"From buying a pair of boxing gloves so they can join the local boxing group, to a trip to the hairdressers, we will now be able to meet their financial costs."
The group of armed forces and military veterans was set up four or five years ago in Bridlington and now has around 80 members.
Mr Rubery said: “We are there if people want to come along, any veterans in the area are more than welcome to join us on Monday and Thursday mornings.
“Camaraderie is just great, it’s like when we served. There is a lot of banter.
“Most of us have been out of the services for 30-odd years and it’s just like the days when you were serving.”
Next on the fundraising agenda is for the group to try their hand at singing.
They say they are now working on a cover album of 24 tracks and hope to raise money for another charity.
Follow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, external, Twitter, external, and Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to eastyorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk, external.