RETAINED firemen at Rhayader are baring all for charity this Christmas with a 2019 Calendar with all 500 copies selling out within a week.

Despite the cold snap, temperatures were soaring in Radnorshire as the local fireman turned up the heat with a new fundraising calendar that is already proving to be a massive hit with the locals.

Photographer Ruth Rees was called upon to come to the station to take the pictures which were edited into a calendar by Rhayader business Hafod Hardware.

The firemen have picked two fantastic charities (Wish Upon a Star and The Bracken Trust) and the demand for them has meant they have had to order double what they originally planned.

The suggestion for the calendar came from a local person and the firemen thought it was now or never.

They say some took a little persuading but in the end, everyone was on board as they knew it would raise a lot of money, for people who really need it.

"We think this could really take off," said retained firefighter Tom Jones.

“We had 500 copies printed and they went on sale last Thursday. They have practically all gone and we are looking to do a second print run as the demand is there and we want to make as much as we can for the charities,” Tom told the County Times on Tuesday.

The Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service Station 09 have also been nominated for the Service’s annual awards in the Community Work category.

Representatives from the Station will be attending the awards ceremony in Swansea on November 16.