By Jonathan Brown
The Mourneview Hotties sea swimming group has released a charity calendar to raise funds for the MND (Motor Neurone Disease) Association NI. The group was formed in 2022 and is made up of over 60 women who meet on weekends to go for sea dips at Murlough Beach. The majority of members own a caravan at Newcastle’s Mourneview caravan site, but the group has also recruited swimmers from the local area and from sea swimming groups across the country.
All proceeds from the calendar, copies of which went on sale for the first time at Mourneview Caravan Park’s annual Halloween party on Saturday night past, will go towards the MND Association NI – the only charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that funds global research into Motor Neurone Disease, also providing access to care and campaigning for people impacted by the illness.
Three members of the group, Elaine Snoddy, Karen Leitch and Mayobridge native Mary Mallon, have all lost loved ones to MND – a usually life-shortening and currently incurable condition that damages the nervous system, leading to muscle weakness and impacting simple activities like walking, speaking, swallowing, gripping and breathing. Elaine’s mum, Ellen, passed away in June 1998, Karen’s father, Tommy, lost his life as a result of MND in November 2017, while Mary’s sister, Claire O’Hare, passed away aged 66, just three years after her diagnosis, in January of this year.
Photoshoots for the calendar, which were inspired by the 2003 movie Calendar Girls, based on the true story of Angela Knowles who created a nude charity calendar alongside a group of friends from the Women’s Institute, began in December of last year and concluded in September. Destinations like the Mourne Mountains, Murlough Beach, Mourneview Caravan Park and the Yellow Water River are featured, while local business Milne Holiday Park provided sponsorship and are featured on the front cover.
Group founder Brenda Doherty says, although the photoshoots proved to be an emotional experience for Elaine, Karen and Mary, their fellow ‘Hotties’ were able to provide support, and there were plenty of laughs along the way. “We’ve had a good laugh and we’ve had a lot of fun – it’s been great craic. But I think, especially for Elaine, Karen and Mary, it’s been really, really emotional. It doesn’t matter how long ago your loved one passed, it’s always there and it never goes away, and doing things like this really does bring it to the surface. There were a few tears shed, but we were all there to support them.”
Over 500 calendars have been produced, and the group will be holding a collection day in Newcastle on Saturday 15 November, giving people the chance to purchase calendars and donate towards the MND Association NI. Calendars cost £5 and are available to buy from Painted Earth, The Wool Shop, and Saltrock in Newcastle. Calendars can also be purchased by emailing mourneview@milneholidayparks.co.uk, but this will add an additional cost for postage.
You can also donate to the Mourneview Hotties’ JustGiving page in aid of the MND Association NI via www.justgiving.com/team/mourneviewhotties. For more information on the MND Association NI, visit https://www.mndani.com.
