Make a date with the calendar girls

May 16 2008 by Michael Green, Chester Chronicle

Make a date with the calendar girls

A NAKED ambition by a Frodsham business woman has raised more than £1,800 for charity.

Fundraiser Andrea Ellison, 41, of Pennington Close, Frodsham, and her sister-in-law Jane Palombella, launched their Calendar Girls-style calendar at Heathercliffe Country House Hotel, Manley Road, Frodsham, on Friday.

Funds raised will go to the two charities chosen by the girls while a proportion will be used to send Jane and Andrea to the Sahara Desert for a 10-day 100km charity trek to raise further funds.

Andrea is walking for The British Heart Foundation while Jane is raising funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

“I lost my dad from heart disease and Jayne’s nephew died of leukaemia aged just 18,” added Andrea.

“It made us think you’re only here once and we decided to do something for charity. We saw the trek across the Sahara and thought it was too good to miss.”

The calendars can be bought in Frodsham shops, from The Heathercliffe Country House Hotel, Manley Road, Frodsham, and on eBay searching under ‘Frodsham calendar’.

Andrea added: “We couldn’t have done it without Becca Meek our photographer. She’s been knock-out. She gave up all her free time. All the girls have got a lot from it. They were all great. We are even talking about doing a male one next year!”

TV auction expert Adam Partridge, who regularly appears on Flog It, Bargain Hunt and Cash in the Attic, was on hand to compere a charity auction at the champagne reception.

Andrea, a Slimming World consultant, said: “The launch party was really good fun. It was packed, about 150 turned up. The hotel went to town, they gave us a great night. The calendars are selling like hot cakes. We’ve raised about £5,000 altogether now.”