We're delighted to be supporting PCaSO, the Prostate Cancer Support Organisation, through our FV5K event. Every year, over 50,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer, and although there have been advances in the treatment of the disease, there is still no national screening programme to support early identification and diagnosis. The work of PCaSO is therefore vital in raising awareness of the disease.
If you'd like to donate directly to PCaSO you can do so via their website here: https://pcaso.org/donate/
Brian Holden, the Chair of PCaSO, has kindly provided the following words in support of the FV5K:
We are really pleased that FVRA are supporting PCaSO with this inaugural 5km running event. PCaSO Prostate Cancer Support Organisation supports men, and their partners, living with prostate cancer before, during and after treatment. We also provide blood test events across Sussex and Hampshire to identify prostate health problems, and we have to date tested well over 30,000 men.
PCaSO’s link with FVRA is through local resident Lance Allen who retired as chair of FVRA at the last AGM and had for a number of years been an active and committed volunteer with PCaSO as a trustee, secretary at County and Exec level and event volunteer. Oh, and he is also a regular trail runner on the local Downland tracks and bridleways! Lance tells me he had already signed up to run the FV5K and feels deeply honoured by FVRA’s gesture in organising this local run.
PCaSO look forward to being at the FV5K event, and spreading the word about the importance of having the PSA test. Our next event is actually very local to Findon Valley, being at the Worthing Charmandean Centre on Saturday 14 September.
If any man over 50 is in any doubt about the need for having a PSA test, particularly because he has no symptoms, the following extract from an email we received a few days ago might be convincing:-
"I, like many came along for a test, with no symptoms and was expecting the results to be normal, how wrong I was. After further tests, I have just returned from a consultation to be told I do have cancer but thanks to yourselves it is in the early stages, hasn't spread and is treatable. Well relieved!!! If you need any volunteers please get in touch, I would like to help. Thank you all once again."
You can find out more about the work PCaSO does by visiting the website here: pcaso.org, or by emailing chair@pcaso.org
Brian Holden
Chair PCaSO
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