AN animal protection group is celebrating the success its second fundraiser calendar.

The Hexham & Corbridge Red Squirrels group are hailing their charity calendar a success after selling two hundred local calendars, which will fund their work protecting the squirrels in Tynedale.

The group has been running since 2004 and this is the second calendar they have produced as they first created on in 2020.

As well as selling local calendars, they are also selling national calendars to raise even more money to protect squirrels in the area. 

As well as celebrating red squirrels, the group made sure it was important to use local photographers in both sets.

The ones in the local calendar were taken by photographers just from Ponteland and Hexham area, whereas the ones in the National calendar were taken by photographers from Northern Ireland and all over the country including Tynedale.

Drew Barton from the group said: “Of course we are pleased with selling all the local calendar first.

“We would have sold all the UK ones had we gained charity status a bit earlier in the year, but we didn’t print them until near the end of November.

“Next year will be a doddle.”

“We created calendars to help raise funds for group and to raise awareness of the plight of our native reds.

“The group was founded by Sally Hardy, the charity's chair and used to live on Runnymede Road in Ponteland, when the grey squirrels arrived in 2000 or so, she realised something had to be done.

"Squirrelpox virus arrived soon after. By 2007 close house lost 90% of their red population.

“They still have a handful, especially Darras who had a wave of pox in 2010 that nearly decimated the population.

"We remove approximately 100 grey squirrels from Darras hall alone, every year to protect a population of 30 reds depending on time of year.

"We need funds so that we can feed and monitor our reds but also remove grey squirrels from red areas as the two cannot coexist."