By Elliott West
“No one wants to hear the word ‘Cancer’. Especially men who think they need to tough out any problems. We’re working to remove the stigma around men talking about their health”.
Charity mission
Introduction
One of the most daunting pieces of news someone can receive in life is a cancer diagnosis. Yet for many men, abnormal changes to their bodies would rather be ignored, hoping that the problem will go away naturally. This put-off is probably the worst decision you could make. If cancer isn’t caught early, it can have devastating effects, spreading to other organs and making the likelihood of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy being effective, less likely. Cancers such as breast, prostate or testicular have a good success rate when diagnosed early.
So it was very refreshing to hear about a charity called ‘One For The Boys’ that specifically promotes awareness for cancer in men. One that aims to break down the stigma of masculinity and machoism by normalising speaking out about problems and working in local communities across the globe to educate men on the danger signs of cancer, how to spot them and what actions are needed when you become aware of them. This is an internal conflict that men need not have and a crucial difference between life and death. It’s so important to make your health a priority and face the problems head on – for yourself and for your loved ones. A new and open approach but a manly one. So don’t stay silent, be loud and open.
The Voice of Reason
“I’m too busy to go to the doctor.” “I can tough it out.” “Cancer’s not something that would happen to me.”
Quote from the website.
With celebrities Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Firth, David Walliams and Lewis Hamilton all pledging their support, the charity has produced excellent awareness videos like ‘Love The Glove’ with Samuel L. Jackson, the charity chairman to promote testing for prostate cancer, ‘In The Nip Of Time’ to check male nipples for strange lumps or bumps, ‘The Silent Interview’ to encourage men to do the manly thing and talk about cancer and a One For The Boys leaflet campaign. Samuel has also been UK shows like The Graham Norton Show to promote the campaign. So important and poignant is this cause that the charity has attracted a whole host of partners like Asprey, GQ, Hackett and Air New Zealand, this charity means business and uses a powerful hash #SaySomething to spread its message across its various social platforms.
The Inspiration
This charity was born from a personal place. Sofia Davis, the founder, was inspired to set up the foundation after she saw the tragic impact of cancer, and wanted to do something to address the fact that men are more likely to die of cancer than women. Her friend Simon died of cancer and wanted to do something to help his brother Ali heal. After researching male cancers, Sofia found that most cancer campaigns focused on women and very few supported or educated men. She wanted to bring some blue to a very pink world and so ‘One For The Boys’ was born. A charity that now organises numerous events such as charity balls, golf events and karaoke to raise awareness and money for male cancer.