AN ANNUAL skittles competition in Malvern will this year raise money to fight prostate cancer in honour of current players who are suffering with the disease.
The Malvern Motorcycle Club has pledged all the proceeds from the upcoming contest towards the £1.6million Rory the Robot campaign which aims to fund state of the art technology at a Worcestershire hospital to carry out more effective surgery.
One player Roger Turner is set to take part in this year’s knock-out competition despite having the procedure to remove the cancer just over a month ago.
The 70-year-old from Lower Howsell Road welcomed the support towards the campaign.
“It is a very important cause and will help a lot of people. I know plenty of people who have got it [prostate cancer].
“I have been ok since the operation but I am generally a fit person. But I know others who are still unwell and one person who is still recovering after having the procedure four years ago.”
There are up to 550 new cases of prostate cancer a year in Worcestershire and it is set to be the most common form of the disease in men by 2030.
The new technology will allow the removal of tumours with more precision without open surgery, resulting in less blood loss, less pain, lower risk of complications and drastically reduced recovery times.
Roger added: “To most men it will be the biggest thing they have done to their body in their life. It is not a simple thing and there is a lot you have to go through.
“It is only when I visited my surgeon and there were 70 people sat there for the same thing you realise how much pressure there is on the NHS.”
Teams of four have been urged to enter the knock-out contest which will take place every Thursday in June, July and August at the club’s home in Link Way off Howsell Road in Malvern Link.
Competition organiser Andy Ledington said a number of other players and their family members were undergoing treatment for prostate cancer and the competition was a way of ‘blokes doing something for blokes’.
He added: “We have a charity fund-raising skittles competition every year and usually raise around £1,000.
“There are some good players but it is going to be a bit of fun more than anything and is open to all abilities.”
Men over the age of 16 can play and teams must pay £12 to enter and submit their form by Friday, May 23.
Anyone who wants to take part can email [email protected] for an entry form.
