Charity calendar raises over £13k for Thames Hospice

An intrepid photographer from Wooburn Green has raised £13,300 for Thames Hospice by creating a calendar featuring stunning pictures from the local area.

Phil Laybourne, 66, captured otters, foxes as well as picturesque landscapes on camera in Bourne End and Wooburn Green for the calendar as part of a charity mission for the hospice. 

Mr Laybourne’s fundraising for Thames Hospice has now reached more than £23,000, following the success of his calendar from 2021. Mr Laybourne told the Advertiser the calendar’s success had been ‘Fantastic, absolutely fantastic.

Mr Laybourne’s wife Gail died at Thames Hospice in 2020, aged 58, and he said it was 'very important to me' to help raise money for the charity that provided care for her. 

He said: “Like Tesco says, ‘every little helps’ – it’s great to be give back for what they gave me and my family while my wife was ill.

“And to help a place like this thrive as well, so that other people get the level of help that I had as well – that’s very important to me.”  

Almost all of the images for the calendar were captured in the Bourne End and Wooburn Green, and Mr Laybourne was faced with an agonising task to whittle down more than 30,000 images to just 13 for the calendar. 

Pictures that made the final cut include an otter by the waterside in Bourne End accompany pictures including of an owl swooping over a meadow at Spade Oak and a mouse perched precariously atop a purple thistle.

Also pictured are several bright sunsets across Bourne End marina and the River Thames.

Since the calendar went on sale, it has sold almost 800 copies with copies being purchased across the world including Japan, Australia, and Anchorage in Alaska. 

The calendar was sponsored by Pegasus Homes, which contributed £2,500 of the calendar’s production costs. Mr Laybourne also took the calendar 'on tour' to 20 Pegasus residences across the country - as far away as Falmouth.

Chief executive officer at Pegasus Homes Steve Bangs said: “We’re so incredibly proud of Phil’s fantastic achievement in creating this wonderful calendar and using his passion for photography to raise such a significant amount of money for a cause close to his heart."

Thames Hospice's head of marketing and communications Stephanie Peters said: “Phil’s commitment to Thames Hospice is truly extraordinary.

“What began as a deeply personal act of thanks has grown into an inspiring fundraising journey that has touched so many people.

“Through his photography, storytelling, and generosity, together with the incredible support of his corporate partners, including Pegasus Homes, Phil has helped raise vital funds and awareness for hospice care.

“We are enormously grateful to Phil and everyone involved, whose support helps ensure that compassionate hospice care continues to be available to local families when they need it most.

“We look forward to our continuing partnership and to seeing what his next project will bring.”  

Copies of the calendar can be purchased through Mr Laybourne’s website at www.Phillaybournephotography.co.uk