Birmingham’s sports teams ‘bare all’ for blood cancer calendar

The University of Birmingham’s Birmingham Marrow group have released a naked charity calendar.

Featuring on the nude calendar are ten University of Birmingham sports teams, including male and female MedSoc rugby teams, Lions American Football and mixed waterpolo.

Proceeds from the sale of the calendar will go to the Anthony Nolan charity, which supports blood cancer patients.

As the year at the University of Birmingham draws to a close, Birmingham Marrow, UoB’s student branch of the Anthony Nolan charity, has enlisted the help of the university’s sports teams to ‘bare their bums’ and feature in a series of photographs for their 2022 naked charity calendar.

UoB students Kate Pearman and Lucie Collinge, who are both in their third year of graduate entry medicine, are the fundraising representatives for Birmingham Marrow.

“I’ve always wanted to get involved in volunteering, and saw Marrow as a great opportunity to be able to do this,” Kate told The Birmingham Tab. “Every event we have done this year has been so much fun, and it’s so rewarding to know all the money we raise will go towards life-saving treatment.”

This year, Birmingham Marrow have collaborated with ten university and MedSoc sports teams to produce their naked calendar, with photos shot by Joseph Marchant in Circo and Atlantis Studios.

The students told The Birmingham Tab: “The calendar is such a fun way to get so many people involved with our fundraising and raise as much money as possible for the Anthony Nolan Charity.”

Kate added: “I feel privileged to be able to educate students and the general public on the amazing work Anthony Nolan does. We have been lucky to be supported by so many great teams willing to strip off and bear all for this great cause this year!”

The teams involved are:

MedSoc Women’s Netball

MedSoc Men’s Football

MedSoc Men’s Rugby

MedSoc (Women’s) Rugby Birds

UoB Mixed Waterpolo

UoB Mixed Rowing

UoB Women’s Rugby

UoB Lions American Football

UoB Boxing

UoB Pole Fitness

The naked charity calendar is being sold in aid of The Anthony Nolan Charity. Kate described to The Birmingham Tab how the charity “work hard to increase awareness of and sign people up to the stem cell register, and raise funds to support the treatment of those with blood cancers.”

The charity’s work with young people is particularly important, as research has revealed that younger donors provide better samples for transplants.

On why she got involved with Birmingham Marrow, Lucie explained to The Birmingham Tab: “It’s such a great way to help those with blood cancers and meet some amazing people along the way. Having student Marrow groups at most universities across the country, it’s really interesting getting to meet people from different places and share ideas and stories.”

The campaign has already had a successful start. The team told The Birmingham Tab that so far, they have sold 234 calendars, and hope to sell more before the end of the year.

You can buy the Birmingham Marrow 2022 Naked Calendar here.

For more information about Birmingham Marrow, visit the Birmingham Marrow Instagram.

All images via Joseph Marchant @jmarch_photography

Related stories recommended by these writers:

• Movember Roundup: The best efforts by UoB students

• The best Birmingham themed Christmas gifts on a student-friendly budget

• All the best reactions from Birmingham’s second appearance on University Challenge