Prostate Cymru partnered with Swansea City AFC Foundation and Nationwide Building Society to host a significant event offering complimentary PSA testing to 250 devoted Swans fans and local community members.
The PSA test, a simple blood test, is vital in detecting early signs of Prostate Cancer, potentially saving lives before symptoms manifest.
In 2024, an estimated 50,000 men across the UK will receive a prostate cancer diagnosis, highlighting the pressing need for proactive measures such as early testing. Specifically in Wale, one in eight men will face the disease in their lifetime.
Consultant Urology Surgeon and Chairman of Prostate Cymru, Andy Thomas, explains, “It’s been great to be at the stadium to perform the PSA testing event with Prostate Cymru, and I think it’s been a great success. We encourage men over 45 to learn about their risks and make informed decisions about their health. Sports such as football can play such an important role when it comes to reducing stigma and raising awareness around topics such as prostate cancer.”
“In Wales, 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, with a 1 in 3 chance if you have a family history, or a 1 in 4 chance if you are a black man. Early diagnosis saves lives, so we encourage people to get tested before developing symptoms. We had our Specialist Nurse at the event to answer any pressing concerns anyone had, and she will also be available to talk to anyone via our free and confidential hotline if they have any questions when they receive their results.”
Paul France, Head of Swansea City AFC Foundation, explained, “The club is about more than football, and the Foundation has a really strong health and wellbeing programme. We were fortunate to work with the Nationwide Building Society, which funded 250 tests so that they are free to the people attending today. That reduces the barriers for people coming forward having the test.”
“We filled 250 places in less than two weeks, and holding it in the stadium is the real attraction. It’s a nice sunny day; the room overlooks the pitch, and that’s important because it doesn’t feel clinical or medical. It’s just something the football club is doing for their community. It’s a familiar place, which makes people feel more relaxed.”
Claire Atherton, Member Relationships Director at Nationwide Building Society, added, “It was important for us to be involved in this event because we love to work with our communities and have a central role. For the past five or six years, we give 1% of our pre-tax profits to our community funding event.”
“I’ve worked with the Swansea City AFC Foundation for several years and spoke to Paul France about current projects. He told me about this amazing initiative, and to be involved with that and provide the funding has been important for us. One guy said, ‘This is amazing; I would never have gotten tested if it wasn’t for the club,’ so the club plays an important role in our city. We come here every other week to support our team.”
If you have had some concerning results from the test day or have general queries or concerns, our Specialist Nurse, Gaynor Newton, is available to talk from 4 pm – 8 pm, Monday – Friday on 08000 470 200.