With the launch of the Ladies First Charity Calendar 2027, Nub News is meeting the local women behind the project to discover the personal stories, passions and causes that inspired them to take part.

From stepping outside their comfort zone to raising money for charities close to her heart, each woman has her own reason for getting involved. In this series, we find out their 'why' and what the experience has meant to them.

Tracey McAtamney – Balsall Common

For Tracey McAtamney, the idea behind the Ladies First Charity Calendar came about during a conversation about her 60th birthday, which she celebrated in June this year.

Determined to do something different to mark the milestone, Tracey decided to embrace the opportunity to do something outrageous while raising money for charity.

"I was in London with my PR agent," she said.

"Everyone last year was asking me what I was doing for my 60th birthday.

"I was so sick of people asking, because, you know, who wants to be 60?

"I said, 'I'm going to do a calendar, I'm going to just be outrageous and do a calendar for charity.'"

As well as being the director of Ladies First, Tracey founded Surviving Bereavement, a foundation which supports people who have lost loved ones.

The charity is her chosen cause for the calendar, with her own experience of bereavement inspiring her to help others facing similar challenges.

Tracey's why

After coming up with the idea for the calendar, Tracey began recruiting women to take part but was surprised by just how much interest the project generated.

"I didn't expect it to grow as much as it did," she said.

"I've got my Ladies First ladies, and we weren't really sure whether we'd get 12, never mind 39!"

The calendar features 39 women, with a special 40th member making an appearance in the form of Tracey's granddaughter, Matilda, who was still in the womb at the time of the photoshoot.

Tracey's daughter-in-law featured in a mother-and-daughter photograph for the March page, celebrating Mother's Day, while pregnant with her baby girl.

"My daughter-in-law, who was in the mother-and-daughter picture, which was the March page for Mother's Day, was expecting a little girl," she said.

"She was pregnant in the picture and now she has Matilda, who was born a month ago.

"So, Matilda is the bump in the actual calendar!"

Beyond raising money for charity, Tracey hoped the calendar would shine a light on the causes supported by the women taking part.

"There are so many charities that change everybody's lives, and I thought every lady in the calendar could choose their own," she said.

"That way, we're shining a torch on so many good causes."

For Tracey, the project also offered an opportunity to challenge perceptions around ageing and encourage women to feel confident in themselves, regardless of their age.

She believes women of a certain age can feel overlooked and wanted to celebrate turning 60 in a way that was fun, empowering and unapologetic.

"For me, I think women of a certain age do feel pretty invisible," she said.

"So, it was quite nice to make this fun, rather than just saying, 'Oh yeah, I'm 60'.

"It was really nice to say, 'This is a bit of fun'.

"This is me saying women should love themselves no matter what, and no matter what age they are."

Tracey's chosen charity: Surviving Bereavement

Diving deeper into her motivation to participate in the calendar, Tracey explained why she has chosen to support Surviving Bereavement, a community interest organisation she founded to help people cope with the loss of a loved one.

The organisation provides free bereavement cafes across Warwickshire and the West Midlands, offering people a place to meet others, share experiences and build new friendships over a cup of tea.

For Tracey, the cause is deeply personal.

She was widowed 22 years ago, aged just 38, when her children were seven and 15.

Following her experience of loss, Tracey later decided to write her story in a book for charity, before establishing the cafes to support others going through similar experiences.

She believes bereavement is something that touches everybody's lives, yet it is not talked about enough.

"One of the big things for people is the loss of control and the loss of their life as they knew it," she said.

Through the cafes, Tracey has seen people form new friendships and begin to rebuild their lives following the death of a loved one.

She said: "It's lovely to see people moving forward with their lives and, you know, be able to smile again, really just building new contacts."

Supporting Surviving Bereavement through the calendar was therefore a natural choice for Tracey, allowing her to raise awareness of a cause that has shaped much of her own life while helping others find a connection and support during difficult times.

The Ladies First Charity Calendar launched on 15 October and is now available to purchase here.