A group of local gym goers have bared all for charity.

The group, known as the Kit Off for Cancer team, from The Meadow Gym in Douglas have gone full ’Calendar Girls’ style and created a charity calendar.

This is being done in support of Mannin Cancers, a local charity raising money and awareness in the island about men’s health, particularly prostate and testicular cancer.

Alongside the pictures, the team has put in facts about men’s health and positive quotes to support emotional wellbeing.

Danny and Joe Kane run The Meadow Gym and have always enjoyed doing their bit for charity and wanted to make a big difference in the local community.

They said they are ’known to enjoy getting [their] kit off’ when they train and have teased the idea of a calendar in previous years.

The choice of charity was a ’no brainer’ for them, saying cancer is a disease that affects every family at some level and to keep the money in the community and see it spent in the island is ’amazing’.

’We’re also passionate about raising awareness for mental health issues and we know the effects physical issues can have on your mental health,’ said Danny and Joe in a statement.

’With this calendar we hope to raise as much money as possible for an amazing local charity, but equally importantly we hope to raise as much awareness as we can for physical and mental health issues, especially in young men.

’Physical and mental health is important for everyone but we know men talk less and struggle to open up about these issues, so a group of lads getting their kit off in aid of such an important issue is the least we could do.’

’We can’t thank the boys who stepped up to do the calendar enough.’

By including the stark facts around men’s health, the Kit off for Cancer group hope to be able to not only raise money but also awareness and provide a conversation starter in homes.

Prostate cancer is now the UK’s largest cancer, with numbers surpassing breast cancer as the deadliest illness in the UK.

Mannin Cancers is the sibling charity of the Manx Breast Cancer Support Group.

It was formed in early 2019 to fundraise for diagnostic equipment to help male cancer patients in the island.

All money raised for this charity stays on the Isle of Man to help improve the experience for men diagnosed with cancer.

The calendar officially launches this week at The Meadow Gym, Hills Meadow Industrial Estate.

Launch details and invitations will follow after an internal review of the latest Covid-19 guidelines.

l You can read Danny Kane’s fitness column on page 11.