THE Rylstone WI Calendar Girls have received a Yorkshire Rose Award.

The women were recognised for their fundraising efforts during the past 17 years.

They first bared all for a charity calendar in 1999, in memory of national park officer John Baker, whose wife, Angela, was a WI member.

Their intention was to raise enough money to buy a sofa for Airedale Hospital, where John had been treated.

Nothing could have prepared them for the way their original calendar took off and, following a spin-off film, stage play and musical, they have to date raised more than £3 million for Bloodwise, the UK's leading blood cancer charity.

And, on Friday, they were honoured at the 30th Yorkshire Women of Achievement Awards, which celebrate the inspirational work of the county’s unsung heroines.

“We are constantly amazed by the achievements of women in the local community," said Georgina Abbott, senior hospice fundraiser at Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice and organiser of the event.

Among the other award nominees was Emma Pears, who started Skipton children's charity SELFA with the aim of supporting children and young people in the area who are disabled, disadvantaged and vulnerable.

“I do small things every day but I believe because of this, great things are possible," said Emma. "These awards celebrate women like me, women who keep going, even in the face of adversity. They celebrate Yorkshire women who work tirelessly to make a difference.”

She was nominated by parent trustee Lisa Hudson, whose teenage son, Jacob, has been helped significantly by the charity. He appeared on last year’s BBC Children in Need night speaking about how SELFA had changed his life, reducing his anxieties from 78 to just five.

Lisa praised the hard work, relentless determination and vision Emma gave every day.

"For almost a decade, she has worked tirelessly to keep the charity going, and is continuously spurred on by the change it makes to children and their families," added Lisa. "I hope this nomination shows Emma that her efforts are appreciated and worthwhile by our community. SELFA is a local charity that makes a big difference to the little lives it enriches.”

Emma was nominated in the community impact category, but the award – and overall Yorkshire Woman of the Year title – went to Jayne Senior, manager of Risky Business, which works with victims of child sexual exploitation.