The calendar girls of Orion Point

“Some of the best ideas come from having a great chat over a quiet drink!”

For Orion Point resident, Sheila Cox, an offhand remark uttered at the village’s happy hour drinks turned into one of their most talked-about community projects: a slightly cheeky, thoroughly tasteful charity calendar created by a spirited group of women determined to raise funds for breast cancer.

What began as light-hearted banter and reminiscing about the 2003 film Calendar Girls quickly gathered momentum. “I think most of the ladies thought it was just wine talking,” Sheila laughs. “But the following week I turned up with a sign-up sheet – and everyone realised I was deadly serious!”

Within days, 23 women from the village had signed up.

There were plenty of nerves, of course. “The thought of getting in front of the camera was daunting,” Sheila admits. “Some found it easier than others.” But beneath the laughter and pre-shoot jitters was something far more meaningful – a shared willingness to step outside their comfort zones for a cause close to many hearts.

Pink Ribbon Day was the inspiration.

“I think breast cancer is something that unfortunately touches almost everyone in some way,” says Sheila. “Most people know somebody who’s been affected by it.”

The day of the photo shoot was full of laughter, costume changes, clever staging and plenty of bonding, with scenes shot around Orion Point Village – from the café to vacant apartments – all transformed into playful backgrounds.

Capturing the images was the village social coordinator, armed with little more than a smartphone and a tripod.

“She made everyone feel at ease and confident in their poses,” Sheila says. And confidence, it seems, was one of the project’s greatest gifts.

One resident, initially shy and hesitant, asked on the day if she could join in after all.

“She’s still buzzing now,” Sheila says warmly. “The challenge of creating a calendar really lifted everyone’s self-esteem.”

Husbands, families and friends became the project’s biggest supporters.

“Oh, the husbands were very proud,” Sheila laughs. “They’ve been blown away by it.”

There were moments of vulnerability too. Some women admitted they barely slept the night before the shoot, nerves rattling away in the background.

“It’s definitely brought everyone closer together,” Sheila reflects. “We already had a wonderful community spirit here, but this gave us something really special to share.”

The calendars have become a runaway success.

Thanks to the generosity of Blue Star Printing, 250 copies were professionally printed free of charge, allowing every dollar raised to go directly towards breast cancer fundraising efforts.

Priced at $30 each, the calendars are hot property, with only around 100 left at the time of writing. “We’ve had people donate extra money to the charity without even taking a calendar,” says Sheila. “That’s incredibly moving.”

“It started as a cheeky idea over drinks,” says Sheila, “and suddenly it became this glossy, wonderful reality that united us.”

Summing up the women who stepped in front of the camera, Sheila says simply: “They’re all brave and beautiful.”