History

This project was conceived over dinner in May 2003, as the newly elected Junior Ospreys committee discussed ideas about how to raise the profile of their organisation and the female athletes it represents. The Ospreys strive to promote women’s sport and make it accessible to all women, and to do this they needed to get people talking about women’s sports and the issues facing talented female athletes at the University.

Several months later they approached Indigo Photographic for their help, following their successful production ofThe Students of Cambridge University 2003 Calendar in support of Breakthrough Breast Cancer. A concept was agreed on and work began finding potential models from across the University’s sports teams. The aim was to capture the athleticism and passion of Cambridge sportswomen, while maintaining a stylish and elegant theme.

Interest was high, with around 80 Cambridge female athletes volunteering for initial test shots, eager to get involved in this exciting project supporting a vital organisation in women’s sport at Cambridge. Formal photo shoots took place over the summer term and vacation, and Sally Gunnell marked her support for the aims of the project by agreeing to write the foreword for the calendar.

It is hoped that this project will raise the profile of and gain greater support for women's sport, both within Cambridge University and beyond. In addition, The Ospreys are pleased to support Sport Relief (registered charity 326568) through this project. One of the aims of the Ospreys is to gain wider recognition for the value of participation in sports, particularly in education, and so the work of Sport Relief in using sport to make a difference in young people’s lives is particularly relevant to their aims and beliefs.

We hope you enjoy The Ospreys 2005 Calendar, and choose to support both The Ospreys and Sport Relief by purchasing a copy of the calendar; in doing so a minimum of £1.00 will be donated directly to the valuable work of Sport Relief. To purchase your copy, please click here.

The Team

The Models

All the models featured in the calendar are full-time students at the University of Cambridge and involved in University sport. They include Ospreys committee members, sports team captains, and international athletes. Each has donated a considerable amount of time and effort towards this project for which the creators are deeply grateful.

The Ospreys

Originally founded in 1985, The Ospreys is an organisation dedicated to encouraging, supporting and uniting high-flying female athletes from the University of Cambridge, in the pursuit of sporting excellence. The Ospreys strive to promote women’s sport and make it accessible to all women. Through much-needed bursary schemes and support programmes, they provide essential funding and promote the profile of female athletes and the 41 teams they compete for both within the University and further a field.

The Ospreys now have over 1000 members who have all achieved Blue or Half-Blue status, or University Colours, and include many international athletes and national champions in a variety of sports. Eminent Ospreys alumni include GB rowers Cath Bishop and Sarah Winckless, Olympic Modern Pentathlon Gold medallist Stephanie Cook, and Caroline Hamilton, member of the first all-female team to ski both North and South Poles. In 2001 the Duke of Edinburgh marked his support for the Ospreys by becoming an honorary member.

The Ospreys would like to thank their corporate sponsors, UBS, Citigroup, and IBM, whose continued and much valued involvement enables them to continue supporting female athletes at Cambridge.

For more information about The Ospreys, please see their website at: www.theospreys.com. To learn more about sport at Cambridge University, visit: www.sport.cam.ac.uk.

The Charity

Sport Relief was set up by Comic Relief and BBC Sport to use the power and passion of sport to tackle poverty and disadvantage, both in the UK and in some of the world’s poorest countries. This year, on Saturday July 10th over 81,000 people donned their red sock and turned out at over 150 events throughout the UK to take part in what was the biggest Mile event in history - The Fitness First Sport Relief Mile.

Over £16,470,598 has been raised through Sport Relief ’04 so far and that money is now working hard in the UK to help people with shattered lives regain their confidence. For many, taking part in sport can break the cycle of loneliness and isolation. Overseas, the cash is helping kids get an education, stay healthy, find families to love them and avoid the horrors of war. The good news is after a well-earned breather Sport Relief will be back in 2006.

For more information about Sport Relief, please see their website at: www.sportrelief.com.

Indigo Photographic

Indigo Photographic Ltd. is a successful Cambridge-based company specialising in portrait/sports action photography and digital image management solutions. Established by two Cambridge graduates in 2000, Indigo maintains a close connection with the University and its members. Indigo's staff supports the work and the aims of Sport Relief.

Project Supporters

We would like to thank the following for their generous support and without whom this project would not have been possible: