Prostate Cancer UK has a simple ambition...
…to stop prostate cancer damaging the lives of men and their families, and we fund research to transform the way prostate cancer is understood, diagnosed and treated.
All of our work, whether that’s investing in research, supporting men who are living with the disease now, campaigning for change or raising money, we undertake with the knowledge that we’re working towards a future where prostate cancer no longer limits men’s lives.
The statistics hit hard, which is why we need the support of the football community to act now to shape that better future:
- Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men
- More than 11,500 men die from prostate cancer in the UK each year – that's one man every 45 minutes.
- It’s a disease that will affect one in eight men in the UK in their lifetime, and that risk intensifies to one in four if you’re a black man.
- Prostate cancer mainly affects men over 50 and the risk increases with age. But the risk is higher for black men or men with a family history of prostate cancer, so they may wish to speak to their GP from age 45.
To help men find out whether they are at increased risk of developing the disease, Prostate Cancer UK has launched an online risk checker
available at
How the partnership with Non-League Day will help
In the build-up to this year’s Non-League Day (March 26, 2022), we are calling on all football fans to not only find their fixture – but to check their risk of the most common cancer in men.
Having raised more than £200,000 and lifesaving awareness, Prostate Cancer UK have teamed up with Non-League Day for an eighth year to take on the most formidable opponent of all.
We want football supporters and non-league clubs across the UK to join forces and help find the 14,000 men whose prostate cancer has gone undetected because of the pandemic.
One in eight men in the UK will be affected by prostate cancer, but it remains is very treatable if caught early, so it is important that these men are found quickly before their cancer spreads.
How Clubs and fans can get involved?
The 30-second online risk checker is the first line of defence allowing all football fans to check their risk of the disease.
Clubs can promote the risk checker to their own fans in the lead up to Non-League Day. They can also support the charity, through increasing awareness, fundraising and dedicating the Non-League Day matchday fixture to Prostate Cancer UK.
Clubs can download a pack which contains all the information and resources to make their matchday a success here:
Southend United saved my life
Prostate Cancer UK’s ground-breaking work in football saved the life of long-time Southend United supporter Keith Smith.
A check on the club’s website saw him read an article about then-boss Chris Powell running the London Marathon for Prostate Cancer UK, who were on the front of the club’s shirts in the 2018/19 season. And it sparked a lifesaving turn of events.
“I was looking at the Southend United website to see if there was any news on us signing a player, and I saw an article on there with Chris Powell regarding prostate cancer. I found myself reading about the symptoms, and I thought ‘that’s me, I’ve got one of them symptoms’. From there I looked it up further and eventually went to the doctor, and after a range of tests it was confirmed I had prostate cancer,” said Keith, a ground maintenance officer.
“I knew very little about prostate cancer before then. My dad had it, my uncle had it as well and I didn’t realise it was hereditary; I never realised I was such a candidate to get prostate cancer.”
It was during a scan that a cancerous kidney tumour was also spotted, and Keith has since had his kidney removed, and has also had further brachytherapy treatment on his prostate cancer.
He added: “I’m so grateful to the work Prostate Cancer UK have done. Without that, who knows where I’d have been in two years’ time?
“It’s vital that men understand their risk. I’ve first-hand experience of the wonderful support of Prostate Cancer UK, and their 30-second risk checker is a vital tool to help men.”
