The Friends of Ilkley Riverside Parks inaugural 2022 calendar has been hailed as a success after raising over £2500 to support the group’s ongoing improvement works to The Riverside Gardens in Ilkley.
Following a successful photographic competition during 2021 the charity decided to compile the winning photographs into a 2022 calendar. All the photographs in the calendar were taken by local amateur photographers in the area surrounding the River Wharfe as it flows through Ilkley – showcasing the changing scenery by the seasons over the twelve months. Featured in the calendar were three photos taken by budding young photographers as part of the competition’s under 16 category.
Each month of the calendar was sponsored by a local business. The group is most grateful for the support of: Ilkley Lawn Tennis Club, La Stazione, The Little Teahouse, The Riverside Hotel, Regents orthodontics, The Ticket Office, Charles Clinkard, Moss and Moor, Mortens, Tony Reed Photography, The Rotary Club of Ilkley and The Rotary Club of Ilkley Wharfedale. A particular thanks is made to Tony Reed Photography for donating the opportunity to attend one of his photography workshops for the overall winner of the competition. Many congratulations to the overall winner Jessica Paul, her photograph appeared on the front cover of the calendar.
The idea to run a photographic competition and then a calendar was the brainchild of one of Friends of Ilkley Riverside Park’s younger members, 16-year-old George Buckley who said: “I would like to thank everyone who has supported this project, either by buying a calendar, sponsoring a month of the calendar, making a donation or even submitting a photograph to the competition. The support we have received from everyone in the community has been amazing and I’m pleased that the money raised will go towards further improving The Riverside Gardens for residents and visitors alike.”
The money raised from the calendar will go towards the refurbishment of the planters by The Riverside Hotel, which have slowly been rotting away over the past few years. Volunteers have been looking after these flowerbeds since 2019 and during Covid restrictions it has become a popular place for people to sit and take in the river as well as meet friends. This is just one of the numerous projects the group has planned for 2022 and if anyone is interested in donating to support these projects or volunteering at one of their regular work parties they are encouraged to visit The Friends of Ilkley Riverside parks website at: friends-of-ilkley-riverside-parks.com