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Nude calendar storm
A nude charity calendar made to raise cash for the North West Air Ambulance has today been banned from ambulance stations across the region.
Members of the public and air ambulance staff, some of whom are from Wigan, agreed to be pictured for the calendar, Bare In The Air.
The volunteers, including the helicopter pilot, posed nude, with parts of the aircraft and a variety of strategically-placed props to cover them.
But paramedics from the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) are furious about the poses.
They say their integrity and dignity at work has been compromised as people will associate them with the saucy pictures.
It is believed that NWAS bosses are also furious that the calendar has been released.
Top level meetings were being held today to investigate how it was produced without their knowledge.
Paramedics from NWAS, whose headquarters are in Bolton, are seconded to work on the helicopter and the two organisations work together to save lives.
Among the pictures which have angered staff are:
A series of mixed-sex poses, including one in which a bare man has placed his hands on a woman's breasts;
A woman lying on a stretcher with defibrillator paddles held to her chest – an action which would lead to a serious disciplinary charge for ambulance staff;
Other poses in which equipment, including bandages and a first-aid box, are used as props.
Bob Parkinson, of Unite, who is vice-chairman of the staff side of NWAS, said ambulance staff were angered by the calendar.
He said: "We have all seen calendars like these before but this one oversteps the mark of what is acceptable and cuts across the trust's Dignity at Work policy which we are in the process of improving.
Click next page for more ..."I am sure the intentions behind this were well-meant as it is aiming to raise money for a very worthwhile cause, but the calendar has left staff extremely angry and quite shocked at the way it seems to portray ambulance personnel.
"We have had an assurance that no crews are involved but we will be asking for an apology to all staff."
NWAS has banned it from being shown on any of its premises and ambulance staff are not allowed to sell it.
A spokesman for NWAS said: "The Air Ambulance is an independent organisation to the North West Ambulance Service. It is a charitable organisation and therefore we understand they have to fundraise and they chose the production of the calendar.
"This is something the NWAS was not aware of until today. We have a policy in service to protect the welfare of our staff.
"We have two non-executive members who are trustees of the air ambulance organisation but they don't have any decision-making capacity.
"We won't allow the sale of this calendar on NWAS premises. We neither support nor endorse this calendar."
But those involved in making the calendar believe it was all done in good taste.
One was Dan Rowan, 29, from Ashton. He said: "It's a nude calendar – I don't mind at all. I had a laugh actually. Everybody was really relaxed and it was all in good faith. At the end of the day it's for charity and I thought it was all done in good taste..
"Regarding the apparatus they say is being used inappropriately, they are just props. I don't know where they are coming from. It's part of the good-natured fun.
"The Ambulance Service is all government funded, whereas the Air Ambulance has no money and it is hard for them to be operational. For them to take a swipe at the calendar is ridiculous."
A spokesman for the North West Air Ambulance Service (NWAAS) said: "We don't know why anyone is upset with this calendar. The overwhelming response we have had has been absolutely fantastic.
"It is the charity's responsibility to keep the aircraft flying and we will do whatever we can to raise the huge amount of money needed."
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Weather for Wigan
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
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