THE new Tonbridge Daily calendar was launched last week in a bid to raise thousands of pounds for worthy causes in the town.
Suzannah Niklas, who runs the Tonbridge Daily online service, hailed the event at Tonbridge Old Fire Station on Wednesday September 20 as a ‘big success’.
The event, which looks destined to become a major date on the calendar itself, was attended by the Mayor, Roger Dalton, MP Tom Tugendhat and Gordon Hill, the President of the Tonbridge Lions.
Last year more than 750 calendars were sold, raising more than £5,000 for the Lions, who sponsor the product and distribute all the proceeds to a variety of charities and other beneficiaries.
PHOTO: George Niklas
“We were testing the waters last time and it really took off. It was great to pull the community together,” says Suzannah, an art historian. It’s a calendar for the people, with the money raised going straight back into the community, which is marvellous.”
“This year I decided to do it slightly differently, so I appointed a judging panel – people from different backgrounds with different interests – and we got together to decide on the final 12.
“We had more than 200 submissions, some of them absolutely beautiful. But the judges went for the iconic sites and buildings of Tonbridge rather than the more artistic offerings.”
Tony Rogers was coming out of Tonbridge Swimming Pool with his son when he spotted the sunset over the Sportsground which came to be the front cover of the calendar. “The judges really liked it because they thought it looked like a gateway into the town,” says Suzannah.
www.davidhodgkinsonphotography.com
“We did a film presentation of the photos set to music, and there were many oohs and aahs and lots of clapping. Many people came up afterwards and complemented the photos and how they celebrated the town.
She adds: “The Mayor, Cllr Dalton, told me he didn’t know Tonbridge that well before he was appointed and he was impressed by how the community had pulled together.”
The calendar is available from shops all over Tonbridge including Country Garden, ArtSpring, Mr Books, Tonbridge Old Fire Station, The Gift Box, Beyond The Grounds, Grace, Flowers By Enchantment, Sulstons Kitchen, Arranged Flowers, Bliss and Mocha Fella.
