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Penrith Mountain Rescue bare all for charity

Kevin Dowding and Luke Armitage feature in the calendar Credit: ITV Border

Members of the Penrith Mountain Rescue Team have dared to bare all in a bid to raise money for a new vehicle.

The team decided to take part in a naked photo-shoot to produce a charity calendar for 2017.

Money raised will go towards funding a new response vehicle, as Land Rover are no longer manufacturing the Defender, which is the current model used by the team.

During last December's floods, the team played a vital role in helping people cut off by water, and by working with the emergency services across the county.

"Obviously the vehicles are going through water so they need a constant service.

"We can't afford for a vehicle not to work so when we get a shout we need to know we can go out. We're constantly updating and servicing them.

"We don't do a lot of mileage but when we're off-road the vehicles take a lot of hammering and they need to be safe because it is an ambulance at the end of the day transporting casualties."

– Alan Conway, Penrith Mountain Rescue Team
October month Credit: ITV Border

The brave men and women who posed for photos were exposed to the elements, with some of them being photographed in the snow.

Members Luke Armitage and Kevin Dowding say it's brought the whole team closer together.

"There's snow in some of the shots so they were a bit chilly for some, other times it's a lot more pleasant but times were chosen so we're not too exposed.

"When we were with the photographer it was just the photographer then one or two of us and everyone has got their story now which is really nice. We certainly know each other more intimately now."

– Luke Armitage and Kevin Dowding, Penrith MRT

The idea for the calendar came from a night out in the pub, from one of the members who often poses as a life model.

The calendars are on sale for £8, with all proceeds going directly to funding a new vehicle.

The current Penrith MRT vehicle Credit: ITV Border