Press releases

In this section you can view all of the latest news from across the Charity throughout prostate cancer awareness month, from fundraising challenges and events to our information services and policy campaigns.

A prostate cancer awareness month media pack is available for journalists to download, containing full details of the campaign, including information about real life case studies, celebrity supporters and available spokespeople at The Prostate Cancer Charity. The pack also contains full contact details for the Media and PR Team, who will be able to provide you with the resources and information that you need to frame your article.

To download the pack, click on the Media Information button.

18th March 2010

Norwich Marks & Spencer Staff Put In The Cheer For Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Staff at Norwich Marks & Spencer store are spreading the Prostate Cancer Awareness Month spirit by donning their cheerleader outfits and singing songs about the prostate. 

As shoppers pop in for their weekly groceries on Saturday 20 March, they may hear chants of “What do we want? Healthy men! When do we want them? Now!” and “2,4,6,8 – think about your prostate!” from Norwich staff sporting pom-poms.

Staff will be raising funds for The Prostate Cancer Charity’s annual awareness month, with Menswear Manager, Deni Smith, leading the cheers.

Deni said: “All of the staff at the store are really happy to be fundraising for The Prostate Cancer Charity. Everyone is enthusiastic and keen to get behind the campaign. This year we are hoping to do even better than last time and we are hoping to get all of the customers who visit our store involved as well.”

The Prostate Cancer Charity’s Head of Partnerships, Anna Borrini, said: “We always enjoy working with Marks & Spencer because so many of the staff get involved in fun and exciting fundraising activities for the Charity. Norwich staff put in a fantastic effort last year and they look set to do the same this year. Prostate cancer kills 10,000 men in the UK every year and our partnership with M&S is a great way of getting the message about the disease across in a positive way. We really appreciate the support of all of the stores staff in helping us to raise awareness of prostate cancer.”

The successful partnership between The Prostate Cancer Charity and M&S is now in its fourth year. M&S will donate to the Charity ten per cent from the sale of its Autograph range of men’s underwear for the first three weeks of March. Trolley tokens and pens, for suggested donations of £2, will also be on sale. Last year the high street retailer raised more than £245,000 for the Charity, through sales, as well as numerous fundraising activities.

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month will aim to ‘leave prostate cancer nowhere to hide’ this year, and attempt to expose all of the unseen aspects of the disease, from the fact that it can be a taboo topic, to hidden support and information needs of men living with the disease, which are often not fully met.

Anyone wanting more information can visit http://www.hiddencancer.org.uk/.

-ENDS-

 Notes to Editors

For further information please contact Claire Blackburn on 0208 222 7687. Out of hours contact: 0798 432 5001. Email claire.blackburn@prostate-cancer.org.uk

 

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month – Fact box

 

  • The Prostate Cancer Charity is staging its second Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, in March 2010, after it extended its usual awareness week to a four-week long event last year. The Charity firmly believes that to improve the lives of men and their families affected by the disease, everyone must work together to mobilise a movement for change.

 

  • There are 250,000 men living with prostate cancer in the UK, yet it is a disease that is too rarely spoken about openly. Prostate Cancer Awareness Month will aim to leave prostate cancer ‘nowhere to hide’ and attempt to expose the unseen aspects of the disease, from the fact it can be a taboo topic, to hidden support and information needs of men living with the disease, which are often not fully met.

 

  • Many men with prostate cancer are facing a critical gap in care, with more than half of men receiving hormone therapy – a common treatment for the disease – not being given the support and information they need. This is why we are urging people to come together and help us bring prostate cancer out into the open.

 

  • Thousands of individuals and groups from across the UK will join forces to help bring prostate cancer into the light. There are numerous ways to get involved, from holding your very own ‘day of action’ to signing up to the Real Man Cup, a five-a-side football tournament, to raising funds and joining ‘Do Blue Day’, where people are urged to pick a day to dress in a sea of blue, cook up a blue-themed storm or dive into a bath of turquoise jelly!

 

 

  • If you have any queries about prostate cancer, call The Prostate Cancer Charity’s confidential Helpline 0800 074 8383 which is staffed by specialist nurses and open from 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday and Wednesdays from 7 – 9pm or visit www.prostate-cancer.org.uk

 

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men in the UK. Every year in the UK 35,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. One man dies every hour of prostate cancer in the UK

African Caribbean men are three times more likely to develop prostate cancer than white men

The Prostate Cancer Charity is striving for a world where lives are no longer limited by prostate cancer. The Charity is fighting prostate cancer on every front – through research, support, information and campaigning