A NEW Forest hospice has picked 12 Hampshire photographers to create a new community calendar.

Oakhaven Hospice, based in Lymington, launched its competition appealing to local photographers to snap a stunning shot for its 2021 community calendar to raise money for the hospice.

Twelve local businesses each sponsored a month in the calendar and were responsible for selecting the winning photograph for their page.

Helen McGinn of The Knackered Mother Wine Club fame choose the overall winner Bill Andrews whose photo is titled "I can see you" which pictures a herd of deer captured in Black Knoll, New Forest.

Jo Cayla, Oakhavens community & corporate fundraiser said: “We are thrilled with the calendar; it is a local collaboration which has been made possible because of the generosity of our sponsors (Hayward Fox, Travis Perkins, Station Financial, Fairweather’s, Richard Griffiths & Co, The Beachcomber Café, The Cliffhouse, Meadens Skoda, Lymington Windows & Conservatories, Priory Wines and Forest Lodge Vets) and the amazing support we have received from our community.

"The photography competition really captured the imagination over lockdown and we had a fantastic response, the high standard and the variety of the entries has been phenomenal.”

The first copy of the calendar was presented by Tom Sexton Sales Manager of Meadens Skoda Brockenhurst to Bill Andrews whose photo was chosen as overall winner.

He said thank you “for the honour of having my photo as the 'cover shot' in your beautiful calendar”.

The calendar will be available at the Oakhaven Hospice online shop at www.oakhavenhospice.co.uk/shop and across our nine shops for £10; all profit from the sales of the calendar will help Oakhaven to provide its specialist care and support to those in our community who are facing end of life.