The Boys of Bridgend are getting nekkid for a brand new calendar aimed at raising funds for the Everyman Appeal.
by Newsdesk | 1st October 2014
Naked, good looking and for a great cause - what's not to love about this calendar.
Every year more than 10,000 men lose their lives to prostate cancer, while testicular cancer has become the most common cancer threat to men aged between 16-49. The Everyman Appeal, under the Institute of Cancer Research, aims to find the causes of these diseases while developing research into their cures. The Boys of Bridgend are hoping to raise £10,000 for the 10,000+ men who will succumb to these diseases this year.
"Every year we see so many women standing proud and doing their thing to help fight cancer and raise awareness and funds for great causes", said Russ Hughes, creator and photographer of The Boys of Bridgend calendar, "but the topic is largely ignored amongst men and we need to change that. Embarrassment and pride play a large part in why men aren't going to get themselves checked or speaking up about their health, but it's so important for the health of every man to put his pride aside and get themselves checked if they think there is a problem. The earlier, the better."
And if the men won't do it for themselves, Russ is hoping that their partners will also give them the nudge they need.
"Anyone who buys a copy of the calendar is already making a huge contribution to a great cause, but they will also be made more aware of the diseases highlighted by the calendar, and that can only be a good thing. The Everyman Appeal might be based in the UK, but the research it does will benefit men all around the world and it's a subject that needs to be talked about worldwide."
Combining that message with naked men seems to be a winning formula, as the Boys of Bridgend enters into an already popular market, however you shouldn't let the name fool you. These are real men, all roped in from the small town of Bridgend, South Wales, and Russ admits he had no trouble convincing them to bare all.
"Unlike other calendars on the market, the guys of The Boys of Bridgend aren't profiting from the calendar at all and so aren't doing it to gain any benefit for themselves. They're doing it because it's for such a worthy cause. It didn't take much persuasion at all, actually. I called on old colleagues, friends, friends of friends. Anyone I could think of who I thought would be up for it. Not everyone said yes, but we got a fantastic bunch and I couldn't be happier with the effort they put in. They're all local celebs now which is great, because they really have done a brilliant thing."
And is Russ worried about the competition from such a strong market?
"Not at all! There's room for everyone and we can hold our own. People are aware of us already, with pre-orders coming in from Australia, America, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand, and that's been with very little promotion. Good word get's around and it can only grow from here. We've no intention of stepping on toes or competing. There's been so much interest that a 2016 calendar is already in the works along with a new website, social media zones, and a whole new theme, but for now the focus is on 2015 and making this one as big of a success as it can be."
The calendar is available now for pre-order. Make sure you get your hands on a copy via the online store www.boysofbridgend.ecwid.com
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