Calendar sales exceed expectations
A charity calendar launched to mark the deaths of four Warwickshire Firefighters has raised over £26,000, thanks to support from across the country.
The calendar, ‘On Reflection’ was created as a light hearted tribute to the four Fire Fighters, Ashley Stephens, Darren Yates-Badley, John Averis and Ian Reid who tragically lost their lives in a fire at a vegetable packing plant in Atherstone-on-Stour on the 2 November 2007.
The aim of the calendar was to raise money for ‘The Warwickshire Fire Fighters Families Fund‘, and ‘The Fire Fighters Charities’. Volunteers who posed for the calendar included Warwickshire Firefighters, Warwickshire Service Control, Urban Search & Rescue Dog Teams & Accelerant Dog Teams.
Watch Manager, Rose Matthews said:
“We are delighted to have raised so much money for the charities close to our hearts. I would like to say thank you to all of the firefighters involved, without whom, this calendar would not have been created.”
Since its launch in November 2008, the calendar has been sold at all Warwickshire Fire Stations, through the Warwickshire County Council website, a number of Warwickshire supermarkets, The Fire Service College and other Fire & Rescue Services throughout the country.
A donation has been made to Alcester & Stratford Fire Stations of £1,000, Stratford are purchasing two more benches for the memorial garden at Stratford fire station making the total four, one in memory of each Firefighter. The remainder of the money has been divided between the two charities.