Welsh farmers affected by prostate cancer raise £11,000

A group of eight farmers living at the foot of the Brecon Beacons were brought together by their diagnoses of prostate cancer. 

They became close friends, offering each other support, laughter and resilience during their individual journeys through treatment and recovery.  

Before being diagnosed, three of the group members did not experience any cancer symptoms, and a problem was only detected after requesting a simple PSA blood test while visiting their GP for other reasons. 

READ NOW: UK DAIRY DAY PREVIEW: Welsh herd all set for UK Dairy Day

Early diagnosis of this all too common disease is important, and a PSA blood test can quickly flag any abnormalities within the prostate. 

During their treatment, they decided they wanted to support others going through the same experience, give back to the charity Prostate Cymru and to the Velindre Cancer Centre which provided their treatment, plus raise awareness in the local area.

They did this by bringing together more than 200 friends and family members in the Brecon Beacons for afternoon ‘Tea on the Lawn' organised by the local farmers prostate group. 

The event included music, a panel discussion on the topic of race horses and an auction which raised £1,500. It proved to be a roaring success both socially and financially, raising £11,000 through the event and online via their Just Giving page. The amount raised has been shared equally between Prostate Cymru and Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff.  

Group member Gerwyn Rees said: "The group have been humbled by the acts of goodwill and overwhelmed by the generous support of so many businesses, groups and individuals who made the event possible. It was a thoroughly rewarding event in many ways, but most of all by providing the opportunity to raise awareness of an all too common disease, prostate cancer, which if caught in time, is very treatable." 

Symptoms: 

• Difficulty starting to urinate or emptying your bladder
• Weak flow when you urinate
• Feeling that your bladder has not emptied properly
• Dribbling urine after you finish urinating
• Needing to urinate more often than usual, especially at night
• Sudden need to urinate – you might sometimes leak urine before you get to the toilet 

Locally advanced symptoms: 

• Back pain, hip pain or pelvis pain
• Problems getting or keeping an erection
• Blood in the urine or semen
• Unexplained weight loss