An entire village whose residents have thrown themselves into a year’s worth of fundraising for Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge has been praised for being ‘one of a kind.’
Paul Wilby, from Denton in Norfolk, launched his fundraising appeal in January to raise money for Addenbrooke’s Hospital, via Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT), as well as Papworth Hospital, after his son became ill with an undiagnosed condition.
Ben, 34, had been suffering with severe breathlessness for about three years, and had to stop a couple of times to catch his breath every time he climbed a flight of stairs.
However, after being encouraged by a paramedic, who had been called out to his home, to keep investigating his condition, Ben was found to have something called Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension caused by blood clots on his lungs. He underwent a lifesaving procedure known as a Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty at Papworth Hospital where a balloon was used to push scar tissue to one side, allowing the blood to flow properly again, which returned Ben’s breathing to normal.
Since starting their fundraising earlier this year, the villagers of Denton have raised just shy of £2,000 with events including Easter Bingo; a Tractor Run; Party on the Meadow; Walking Football; and a Plough Day, where 45 tractors from neighbouring villages drove to Hardwick Airfield before returning to Denton to plough five fields in the village.
Paul White, Director of Communications and Impact at ACT, said: “In all the 20 years I have been working in the charity sector, I don’t think I have ever heard of a whole village mucking in and fundraising like this. It’s only a small village but for everyone to get involved in this way is amazing. Denton really is one of a kind.”
Fundraiser Paul, a builder who also runs a self-catering accommodation at his home in the village, has lived in Denton for eight years, and said: “It’s like going back 50 years here. Everyone helps everyone else out. If you want or need anything, someone in the village will help. It is a proper community.”
His wife, Karen, who has lived in the village for nearly 30 years, said: “Literally everybody in the village has been involved with fundraising. Everyone. Everyone comes along and supports things and will chuck money in a pot and if they can’t come, they’ll come and see us and say, ‘sorry we can’t make it but here’s £20.’ So if they’re not involved in volunteering, they’re involved by supporting it, giving money or donating raffle prizes. But that’s the type of place Denton is. People keep an eye on each other which is how it should be.”
The village, which has a population of 326, runs a monthly dinner night and lunch club for residents and also opens up its village hall every Friday night as a social club.
However, Paul’s latest fundraising venture could cause a few blushes outside the village - with their production of their very own Full Monty-style calendar, Denton Dream Boys, where sixteen of the local male residents volunteered to pose naked, with strategically placed items protecting their dignity, all for charity.
Paul said the recruits came via the village’s Google Group Chat – with the calendar part of a big reveal at a gala night in the village on November 2nd.
He said the calendar doesn’t come with a warning on the front – only with a note at the back to say ‘no Dream Boys or animals were injured during the filming of this calendar’ - but Paul says the front cover ‘gives you a gist of what to expect inside.’
Willing contributors include March’s ‘Naked Gardener’ whose dignity is protected by a pitchfork; April’s ‘Rocking Ricky’ who climbed a hay bale to pose naked with a guitar; and Paul himself, who despite being married to Karen, features as July’s ‘Hilary’s Hunk’.
Explaining the name, Paul said it relates to one of the more memorable moments from the photo shoots. “It was my job on all the photo shoots to stand guard to prevent any embarrassing moments with the public walking into a field where we were taking photos. But on my photo shoot, this lady walked into the field to tell us our donkeys had escaped and saw me naked. Luckily she was a retired nurse so had seen it all before but literally the only thing I was holding in my hand was a chicken so we decided to call my photo Hilary’s Hunk after her.”
Paul’s wife, Karen, also features on the back of the calendar fully dressed but rounding up the chickens and sheep for Paul’s photo. “But as you know, that doesn’t really work with animals, so we had quite a few laughs doing the shoot,” Paul said.
All the photos were taken by village resident Mark Richards, a retired Daily Mail photographer who moved to the village three years ago.
“Everyone in Denton has welcomed us with open arms,” Mark said, adding: “As for the calendar, it has been an absolute ball. I’ve seen more naked men in the last six months than I have my entire life and there were no shrinking violets!”
Asked if the calendar was a reflection of how much fun Denton was as a village, Paul’s wife Karen said: “Life in Denton is as close to the Vicar of Dibley as you can get. They’re all nutcases here, every one of them!”
Apart from the bloopers on the back of the calendar, other humorous touches include a photo of one of the oldest residents who at 82 volunteered a little late, so was put in stocks, with the caption - ‘This is what happens when you don’t get your pants off!”
Paul hopes to raise more funds for ACT after the gala night – which was sold out – along with sales of the calendar. His son, Ben, spoke on the evening before the big reveal when all the residents got to see the calendar for the first time.
Fundraising will finish with Christmas Bingo in December and a fundraising raffle for ACT at a speed dating event in the village the same month.
Asked what’s next, Paul replied: “The girls are talking about doing a calendar next year along the lines of what we’ve done, but who knows.” Five hundred copies of the Denton Dream Boys calendar have been printed off, with 143 pre-orders already. Calendars cost £12 and can be ordered by emailing Paul at: olddairydenton@btinternet.com
