A WOMEN’S mental health choir have bared all for mental health with an eye-catching calendar for next year.

The calendar has been produced by the Ross-on-Wye Border Belles by featuring members in tasteful poses in the style of the famous 2003 film Calendar Girls.

The purpose of the calendar is to highlight that it is okay to show up as your true self and be vulnerable.

Emma Rowland-Elsen who founded the choir after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2018, said: “We wanted to show that it is okay to show up as your true self, warts and all.

“Fifty brave and beautiful women took part in the project and supported each other throughout the process.

“Each page of this calendar features thoughtfully chosen lyrics from one of the songs that we sing along with a personal health story by a member.

“Through our project we hope to stress the importance of good mental health, as we pose nude at local venues and share our personal mental health.”

Photographer Caz Holbrook captured the images at Halo Ross; the woods at Whitchurch; County store Bartestree; Caradoc; Old Court Hotel in Whitchurch; Ross Community Gardens and Grafton Lane Christmas Tree Farm.

The Rotary Club of Ross provided financial sponsorship for the calendar, which is in aid of Herefordshire Mind.

Emma originally set up the Border Belles choir as a safe place to support women with their mental health and wellbeing after the Covid-19 pandemic Since then, the group has grown to have 80 women involved. They are now looking to increase this number to 100.

The choir’s most recent performance was at the bandstand in Ross as part of this year’s Equinox Festival.

Emma added: “All the people involved in the project are donating their time for free, including Phoenix printers from Hereford.

The calendars are now on sale at various outlets in the town. Priced at £20, the calendars are now available at Café Eleganza, Miles Morgan Travel, the Crown and Sceptre, and the Mill Race in Walford.

Border Belles meet every Wednesday night for practises at Bridstow Primary School, between 7.30pm and 9pm, during term times. There are no scary auditions and no singing experience is needed nor is the ability to read music.