The 'Goth on the Croft' charity calendar is back for 2020

After a successful launch in 2018, the 'Goth on the Croft' charity calendar is back.
January 2020 features the Callinish StonesJanuary 2020 features the Callinish Stones
January 2020 features the Callinish Stones

After a move to the Outer Hebrides from Aberdeen in 2015, Dr Claire Gerrard and her friends decided to pulled on their best PVC, cloaks and black makeup to promote tolerance of sub cultures and minority groups while celebrating society’s ‘black sheep’ - the creation of the 'Goth on the Croft' charity calendar was complete.

The 2020 calendar - which has pictures that were taken across Scotland including Aberdeenshire and the Isle of Lewis - includes collaborations with organisations including Historic Environment Scotland, The Arnol Black house on the Isle of Lewis and The New Arc wildlife rescue centre in Ellon, to raise funds for The Sophie Lancaster Foundation and The New Arc, and also to raise awareness and promote tolerance of subcultures, and minority groups within the community.

The 'Goth on the Croft'

July 2020 is a Gothic seaside theme.July 2020 is a Gothic seaside theme.
July 2020 is a Gothic seaside theme.
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Speaking ahead of the first calendar, Claire said: “I really did feel I was walking into a place where there wasn’t many of me. When I saw the black sheep in the fields, I could identify! I stood out a mile."

This year, Claire says: "I started thinking of myself as a goth on a croft, and how that image exemplified the incongruity that people who express themselves differently feel in everyday life. Not many people expect to see goths on a croft- and why shouldn’t they be there too?

"We are just people who do everyday things- sometimes with a little added spookiness!’ This gave me the idea to start a fundraising project to promote acceptance and tolerance for subcultures and minority groups and to raise funds for charities with these goals in mind.

"We raised over £2000 pounds for the Sophie Lancaster Foundation back in 2018 and are raising for them again this year with a 2020 Goth on the Croft Calendar. This year we have teamed up with The New Arc wildlife rescue centre where the animal models featured within the calendar reside, and as a thankyou we are donating half of the profits from the calendar sale to The New Arc."

The 'Goth on the Croft' 2020 calendar is priced at £8.99 and can be bought here.

The 2020 charities

The Sophie Lancaster Foundation

Sophie Lancaster and her boyfriend dressed in their unique way, expressing their individuality as creative and artistic people. On the night of 11 August 2007 they walked home through Stubbeylee Park, Bacup, Lancashire when a gang of youths attacked them because of the way they looked.

Sophie's boyfriend was kicked repeatedly in the head, knocking him unconscious. As Sophie cradled him protectively, they began to viciously kick and stamp on her head. Sophie entered a coma and died of her injuries two weeks later.

The aim of the charity is to create a lasting legacy to Sophie. To provide educational group-works that will challenge the prejudice and intolerance towards people from alternative subcultures and to campaign to have the UK Hate Crime legislation extended to include people from alternative subcultures or lifestyle and dress.

The New Arc

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The New Arc was launched by Keith and Pauline Marley over 10 years ago. It focuses on the rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured wildlife, providing much needed care to both common and rare species found across Scotland.

The residents are diverse, including a pig, a goat, sheep, buzzards, cats, foxes, squirrels, reptiles, owls, falcons, hens…. the list is endless! Animals come in attacked or shot by people, hit by cars, attacked by cats, or even birds caught in plastic. Some more unusual cases have captured imaginations across the globe- including ‘Arbuckle’ the worlds heaviest ever recorded hedgehog!

In 2018, The New Arc took in more than 1000 animals, and had a survival success rate of 70 per cent. With a non-destruct policy and 24-7 care, it is a very busy centre, and is entirely reliant on a network of volunteers and public donations.

Currently the New Arc aims to build and equip a much-needed animal A&E Clinic, featuring recovery rooms, an intensive care facility and an inspection room- the sale of this calendar will help towards the costs of this project.

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