Fund-raising calendar to help East Preston girl

They have followed up a bumper money-spinning 12 months for their cause with a new, fun way of adding to the coffers.

Lisa Thorne, 26, the aunt of disabled youngster Iona-May Thorne, came up with an ingenious way to help kick-start this year’s fund-raising bid for her brave niece. Lisa, of Goring, along with her friend Kerrie Affleck, has created a 1950s-inspired calendar, which she hopes will bolster this year’s fund-raising figure for Iona-May.

Now, after nearly finishing the calendar, Iona-May’s family are appealing to local businesses in the area to help sponsor the £500 printing costs.

Lisa said: “It was a spur-of-the-moment thing that me and Kerrie came up with one evening.

“We were thinking of new ideas to help Iona-May and just thought that this would be something a little a different and a bit quirky.”

The calendar features a set of models, in a variety of tongue-in-cheek pictures, dressed in typical 1950s outfits.

So far, the calendar, which was shot at the Design and Image Studio, in Chichester Road, Arundel, has been produced on a shoestring budget, with both models and the studio offering their time for free.

Lisa, who has recently finished a course in hair and make-up, said the response to the calendar has been fantastic.

She said: “It’s been brilliant. A lot of people seem more willing to help smaller charities than the larger ones because it hits home more.

“Because it’s local, I think people build an emotional attachment with Iona-May, because they see what a difficult start in life she’s had.”

The calendar, which the family hopes will be on the market by February, will run into next year, to make up for its late start, this year.

The family have raised more than £16,000 of their £30,000 target to help improve the life of the five-year-old, who suffers from quadriplegic cerebral palsy.

To support Iona-May and her calendar, email [email protected]