Thousands of people will walk across the UK this June as Prostate Cancer UK proudly announce the return of their hugely popular March for Men walking events – including one at the iconic Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London on Father’s Day weekend.
After a two-year break due to COVID-19, the leading men’s health charity is excited to welcome back four family-friendly walks in London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Leeds.
The London March for Men will take place on Saturday 18 June, and the weekend prior the March for Men events are at Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham on Saturday 11 June, before moving to Tollcross Park in Glasgow a day later (12 June). Leeds will host the fourth and final amble at Roundhay Park on Father’s Day, Sunday 19 June, a poignant day on the calendar for the many marching for and with dads.
You can sign up for the events now at marchformen.org.
Prostate cancer affects 1 in 8 men in the UK. That’s thousands of dads, grandads, partners, brothers, uncles, sons and mates.
A huge community of walkers will complete the 2.5km (fully accessible) and 10km distanced routes around the park marching for their loved ones and raising money to help fund lifesaving research into better treatments and tests to beat prostate cancer.
The news of the event’s return comes hot on the heels of a campaign which saw the NHS and Prostate Cancer UK join forces to find more than 14,000 men across the country, who need treatment for prostate cancer, but have not yet come forward since the start of the pandemic.
More than half a million people have since completed the charity’s online risk checker, and with government guidelines allowing mass participation events to continue, the charity will now host four fun-filled days across the UK.
There are 38,269 men living with prostate cancer in London, and Karen Bonner from Tottenham, who will join the London March for Men for the third time, will be walking to honour her father, Egbert, who sadly passed away from prostate cancer eight years ago.
She said: “Prostate Cancer UK’s March for Men was a great experience and for me and I can’t wait to take part again. The day was very moving and I found so much comfort in meeting other people who had also been affected by prostate cancer.
“My message to anyone thinking about taking part this year is go out and march in memory of someone that matters to you. The walk gave me a chance to reflect on my dad’s life and I recommend giving yourself time to think about your loved ones and do something to help save men’s lives. Since my dad passed away, I am now committed to raising awareness of the disease particularly in the black community, as black men have a higher risk of getting prostate cancer.
“I hope that the money raised from March for Men goes towards developing a sophisticated screening programme so that we can accurately diagnose prostate cancer and stop men dying needlessly from this disease.”
Since March for Men launched back in 2017, more than 12,500 Prostate Cancer UK supporters have come together to raise an incredible £1.9m in the fight against the most common cancer in men.
All ages and abilities are welcome, including families, friendship groups, work colleagues and even four legged friends, with plenty to do at these action-packed events, including music, food, merchandise and health information.
Nicola Tallett, Director of Fundraising & Supporter Engagement at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “The fight against prostate cancer, a disease that affects one in eight men, is a purpose worth uniting for, and together we can make strides to combat this disease.
“We want to see a world where men’s lives are not limited by prostate cancer. Men and their loved ones feel the same. That’s why we’re delighted that our March for Men series is back for 2022 and we can’t wait to be together in person across all four events.
“It’s been a difficult two years, but the support for Prostate Cancer UK in that time has been unwavering. The men, women and children who have defied the pandemic to support us are incredible.
“Each has their own story, some heart-breaking others heart-warming. We will all walk side by side and continue in our ultimate quest, to fund more ground-breaking research and work towards a screening programme, to catch prostate cancer early and save lives. Together, we can beat prostate cancer.”
British writer, broadcaster and former politician Trevor Phillips will be joining the London March for Men after losing his brother-in-law to the disease.
He said: “I’m looking forward to joining the many people walking to raise awareness that prostate cancer is a killer – but that we can face up to it together. First by raising awareness and reminding men that there’s nothing scary about checking your health; and second that science is going at full tilt to find ways of protecting us from the disease.
“Many families – like my own – will have lost loved ones. We can and do lament their loss – but we can and will act to make sure that fewer and fewer families have to shed tears in future.”
Join a community of marchers united to beat prostate cancer. Come together to share stories and experiences, march for your loved ones and help save lives. Sign up for the March for Men at marchformen.org.
