Staff strip down for calendar

The volunteers, made up of paramedics and technicians, are also hoping that - in stripping off for the charity calendar - they will help to ‘reveal’ the people behind the job.

45-year-old Rodney Callum, of Penistone, who has been chosen of the face of June, said: “Although this is intended as a bit of fun, the hope is that it will raise awareness of the people who are there to help when the public needs them.

“I had no problems doing the photos – anything to help out other ambulance staff.”

The Calendar Girls’ style calendar is the creation of Medicnow, a recruitment agency specialising in providing ambulance crew to the NHS and private organisations. The calendars profits will be donated to TASC, which provides support for current and retired ambulance service personnel and their families in times of ill health, bereavement or debt. All the nearly nude models featured in the calendar, who were photographed behind strategically placed equipment, volunteered their time free of charge.

Kirsty Elton, of Medicnow, said that sadly ambulance crews face a significant amount of verbal and physical abuse whilst at work, with 2,902 reported physical assaults alone in just five years.

She said: “We wanted people to remember that our ambulance crew are people - someone’s father, mother, son or daughter. We wanted to literally strip away the uniform and the ambulance and show these guys for the caring and hard-working people they are. They do an amazing job, work long hours and save lives, and they deserve our respect and support.”

Visit www.theasc.org.uk to get your copy.