A charity has reached out in a bid to raise awareness surrounding Prostate cancer, a disease that affects 1 in 8 men in Wales. 

Prostate Cymru is the leading prostate health charity in Wales, supporting men who are fighting the debilitating illness. 

Owen Pugsley, the Corporate Events and Marketing Manager, said: “Prostate Cymru is the leading prostate health charity in Wales supporting men with benign prostate disease and prostate cancer. The charity has no national or government funding and relies on the kindness and generosity of its fundraisers and volunteers to fulfil its core aims.” 

Speaking about why it’s important to raise awareness, he added: “Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, affecting 1 in 8 males. That statistic goes down to 1 in 4 if you are black or 1 in 3 if you have a family history. It is now more important than ever for people to go and get tested because in light of the covid pandemic GPs are not doing as many face consultations so people over the age of 50 need to be going and asking for regular PSA testing.”

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Prostate Cymru offers many services to those affected, with thousands of men a year benefitting from the charity. Owen explained: “Prostate Cymru launched a new toolkit for businesses to help shine a light on prostate health. The toolkit aims to help men gain an understanding about potential warning signs and arm people with the relevant facts. The toolkit can be hosted and sent around by businesses or clubs in Wales. We offer face to face awareness sessions which see us go into businesses, clubs or anywhere that a group of people could gather. The intention is to deliver a presentation which educated men and women on prostate disease and prostate cancer. Through the continued support received through public donation, the charity is proud to launch its new telephone helpline. The helpline, which will be manned by specialist nurse Gaynor Newton, will provide invaluable expert advice along with a listening ear to those in need. The helpline will assist men across the nation, allowing them to consult a nurse during the diagnosis process and after receiving treatment regarding any concerns they may have. The free to call phone number (08000 470200) will be manned between the hours of 4:00pm and 8:00pm from Monday to Friday.”

A member of Friends With Prostate Cymru, Pat Gosling, has also spoken about how she became involved with the charity. She said: “I first became interested in the charity because quite a few of our friends have or have had Prostate Cancer. I have learnt that it’s a silent cancer for men, just like us women have silent cancers. I started supporting the charity after a friend had gone through treatment and they are cancer free now.” 

“I go to the meetings and the people there that have or have had the cancer are so lovely and so grateful for all the support and donations to help them get the men in Wales to just check themselves and see a doctor if they think there is something wrong. I also paint landscape and portraits and donate the proceeds that I get for my paintings to the charity, they are such a worthy cause. If the write up saves one Father, Son, Brother, Grandfather, Uncle or Nephew it would be worth every word.”

To find out more, visit: https://www.prostatecymru.com/