WITH winter in full swing, a group of fundraisers from the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester are hoping to melt the ice with their sizzling charity calendar.

Girls from the university’s Raising and Giving (RAG) team have been stripping off for the calendar shoot, which has become a tradition amongst RAU students.

Ben de Havilland, chairman of the RAG committee, said that stepping out in front of the camera did not faze the girls involved.

He said: “They were concerned about the cold than anything else. The whole idea of the calendar was to be classy but also portray the models having fun whilst doing it.

“As a RAG team we did not want full nudity or anything that may make the models or potential purchasers feel awkward.”

He also said that there was a “snowball effect” of people coming forward to take part.

“Once they saw other were doing it and, of course, knowing it was all for charity people were more than willing to get involved.”

Proceeds from the calendar will be split between three charities that the RAG team has chosen to support as beneficiaries.

The Prince’s Countryside Fund, an organisation set up the Prince of Wales to give grants to projects that support rural life, will be supported along with the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust and Help Madina, a project that improves the health and wellbeing of people living in Sierra Leone. Ben told the Standard that the project has been both demanding and rewarding.

He said: “It has taken a lot longer than desired but the photos are looking great. It has been enjoyable for everyone who took part, both in front and behind the camera.”

The finishing touches are being put to the calendars this week and it is hoped that they will be on sale to staff, students and the public before Christmas.

For more information on the university, visit www.rau.ac.uk.