South Shields calendar will raise cash for charity

A Facebook challenge was set up for amateur snappers to submit scenes of the town as the calendar put together with the aim of raising cash for Cancer Connections.

Now the team behind the Sanddancers Charity Calendar it have handed over £1,300 to the charity after sales and sponsorship support took them way beyond the amount they expected to make.

Consumer relations advisor and Crafty Fizz Handmade Stationery boss Meg Taylor, 47, who worked on the project with partner Jim Robertson, 67, who is retired.

She said: “It was all decided on which ones got the most votes, because you can only like things once on there.

“It went so well, we’re now planning one for 2017.

“It’s been amazing because when we first started, we thought we might sell 100 calendars and raise £400 or £500, but we raised £1.300, it was just unbelievable.

“The calendar has gone around the world, so they’ve been sent to Texas, Australia and Malta, because lots of people who are from here like to see photos of home.”

The photos were new pictures as well as historic images featured in the booklet and included South Shields’ seafront, the Tyne lifeboat on Ocean Road, a shot of the pier heads at the entrance to the rover and the bandstand in Marine Park.

Meg, who is a member of South Shields Small Business Group, appealed for firms to sponsor months, with Gill Beard of Apollo Bathrooms in Fowler Street sponsoring the whole publication.

Cancer Connection’s manager Deborah Roberts said: “We’re absolutely ecstatic at the amount that has been raised.

“It will help us provide counselling and treatment for cancer patients.

“It’s because of people like this and their generosity which means we can stay open and keep doing the work we do.”