Everyone is jumping on the charity calendar bandwagon.
Firefighters, footballers, care workers and garage mechanics have followed the lead of the Calendar Girls and produced their own versions.
But a Slaithwaite group have brought out their 2016 calendar on the theme of Live, Love, Laugh and Learn and have used youngsters with additional needs including Down’s syndrome.
They have been photographed in a variety of backgrounds and obviously had great fun in making the calendar.
Shabang! is an arts charity working in Slaithwaite, specialising in designing and delivering creative projects for children with additional needs and their families.
The 2016 version is the fourth calendar that Shabang! have published and each page features children and young people in a range of different seasonal themes.
Each image is accompanied by the appropriate Makaton symbols and signs. Makaton is a communication system designed specifically for children with communication and learning difficulties and means the calendar will be a of use to schools and families.
Photographer Mike Barratt from Frogs Design created backdrops including Christmas carols in December to blowing dandelion clocks in May, from a Strictly dance off in February to happy Halloween pumpkins in October.
The young models range in age from eight months to young adults.
Kim Reuter, of Shabang!, said: “More importantly we see the children featured in the calendar as much more than models – they are role models. Images of people with learning needs are few and far between in the media or in educational resources.
“Raising positive awareness and celebrating our children is definitely the name of the game.
“We aim to challenge perceptions and celebrate difference.”
Kim recently won the TalkTalk Digital Hero Education Award 2015 for her work at Shabang creating digital resources for families with a child with additional needs. The award was presented at the Houses of Parliament in November and included £5,000 that the organisation will use to make new digital materials.
The calendar is £9.99 and is available to buy from Shabang!’s website www.shabang.org.uk/shop/ or by calling the Shabang office on 01484 848073.
