Barry Kilby deserves a medal for his work fighting against prostate cancer.
Since his own lucky escape with the disease, the entrepreneur and Vice Chairman of Burnley Football Club has dedicated himself to persuading other men to get themselves tested. Prostate cancer, which can be detected with a simple blood test, is the most common form of cancer among men in the UK affecting one in eight of the male population.
Mr Kilby had been invited by Lancashire based estate agent Petty Real™ to draw their weekly £1000 giveaway, when the firm surprised him with another £1000 donation. This time the money was not a prize but a contribution to Kilby’s campaign against prostate cancer.
“Men won’t go to the doctor, but they will go to the football with their mates” says Mr Kilby, and that is where Kilby’s plan comes into its own. He has been setting up mobile testing stations at football grounds and the results have been astonishing.
“The first time we did this at Burnley Football Club we were expecting around 200 people, and in the end about 500 men were tested. It was so popular we ran out of needles” said Barry. “Now we are rolling the project out across football, we have already been to Blackburn, Ipswich Town, and Charlton Athletic.”
Barry’s mission, which began in Burnley, has saved around 350 lives to date and that number is sure to rise in the future because he is arranging for further testing to take place at Accrington Stanley and Manchester City.
For more information on testing dates or how to get involved visit www.the-bkpca.com