In July, more than 1,000 players came together for the MAN v FAT Tournament. It was an incredible celebration of football, community and the positive changes that happen when people support one another.
The Robin Cancer Trust was proud to be part of it and during the day their team spoke to players about testicular cancer, encouraging everyone to check their balls regularly and seek medical help with any concerns, as early diagnosis can help save lives.
You may have noticed their CEO and Founder Toby Freeman walking around dressed as a giant pair of testicles! It certainly got people talking, which is exactly the point.
Who is The Robin Cancer Trust?
The Robin Cancer Trust is the UK’s only charity dedicated to raising awareness of testicular, ovarian and germ cell cancers while providing support to anyone affected by these cancers.
The charity was founded in 2012 by Toby Freeman following the loss of his brother Robin to testicular cancer aged just 24. Robin’s family promised him that he would never be ‘just a photograph on the wall’ and that something good would be born of his tragedy.
Since then, the small charity has reached tens of millions of people online, engaged with hundreds of thousands of people in the community and delivered life-saving cancer awareness talks, helping to educate people, break down stigma and spark life-saving conversations.
Every year the charity:
- Deliver awareness talks in workplaces, schools and community groups.
- Reach millions of people with life-saving awareness campaigns.
- Support people through diagnosis, treatment and beyond, so that no one faces cancer alone.
Why this matters to the MAN v FAT community
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer affecting men aged 15-49, but it’s over 95% curable when found early.
There are members of the MAN v FAT community who have shared their own experiences of testicular cancer.
Checking your testicles takes less than a minute and recognising any changes early could make all the difference. You can read how to carry out a simple self-check on the Robin Cancer Trust’s website.
Events like the Tournament might not seem like the obvious place to talk about cancer but that’s exactly why it works.
Join us this November for the Ballsy 24 Challenge
We’d love to keep the partnership going by inviting the entire MAN v FAT community to take part in the Ballsy24 Challenge, an exciting fundraising challenge taking place throughout Men’s Health Awareness Month this November.
To take part, participants can either form a team and take on a 24-hour team relay or cover 24km individually, either walking, running or cycling; all while raising vital funds to help the Robin Cancer Trust to continue delivering life-saving awareness and support across the UK.
Whether you walk, run, cycle or combine activities with your teammates, every kilometer completed helps us reach more people with information that could save a life.
It’s a fantastic opportunity to:
- Stay motivated together.
- Support an important cause that affects so many men.
- Raise awareness of testicular cancer during Men’s Health Awareness Month.
- Make a real difference for people facing cancer.
We’d love to see MAN v FAT clubs taking on the Ballsy24 Challenge together, creating a bit of friendly competition while helping us ensure more men know the signs and symptoms of testicular cancer.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by to chat with the Robin Cancer Trust at the Tournament, picked up their resources, shared their experiences or simply promised to check their balls.
Together, we can help more men catch testicular cancer early and save lives.
Ready to take on the Ballsy24 Challenge this November? Register your interest and be part of the challenge.
