A CHARITY calendar to help raise funds towards a new minibus in St Teath is proving to be extremely popular.

The St Teath Community Minibus Association aren’t far off raising the £32,000 needed for the new minibus, as chairman Bob Fox explains.

Bob said: “We’re looking to make a profit of around £1,000 from the calendar and we’re already up to £300 after expenses after just three weeks.

“It’ll go towards the new minibus, which has been ordered already.

“The idea came from local resident Lorraine Jasper, and she and her husband David are the January picture.

“We’re lucky that in the village we have a former Fleet Street photographer called Larry Cornwall. He’s done a lot of work and then the calendar was put together by a lady called Lynne Beavis.

“There’s also David Winter who works in the pub who did a great job in getting people to do it. He made sure that groups were available and encouraged people to take part.

“It’s been great fun for everyone and it’s been a great laugh. Everyone is pleased with how it’s turned out.

“The photos are nice photos that are slightly risqué but not enough to cause any offence.”

Lorraine added: “We needed money for a new minibus for St Teath village, so we decided to do the calendar.

“Various groups and organisations such as the churchyard grasscutters, the WI, people from the pub, me and my husband, and local farmers are all in it. So far it’s proving to be extremely popular.”

Needing to raise such a significant amount of money has been a real community effort.

Bob said: “We’ve had the current bus since 2012 and the regulations regarding community transports are changing, so we’re getting a slightly smaller one. The older one will be sold to help offset the costs of the new one.”

The association needed to raise £32,000, but they are on the right track.

Bob said: “We had some money in the bank and so far we’ve raised at least £20,000. We received a National Lottery Grant as well as a couple of other grants, one of our bus drivers David Woods walked from the Devon border to John O’Groats through ferocious winds which raised £4,000, Pearl Pleuiss organised a big bingo event and various other things such as cafe events, coffee mornings and donations.

“Hopefully we’ll have it at some point in the new year. There’s a long order list because a lot of groups want these buses.”

Four-hundred calendars were printed and copies are available from the village Premier store, The White Hart pub and Churchtown Cafe as well as from various individuals.

A minimum donation of £6 is required.