Thanks to the incredible support from customers and colleagues, Marks & Spencer has already raised over £55,000 for Prostate Cancer UK, just two weeks into its campaign to encourage more men to get checked for prostate cancer, as it sells over 14,000 packs of pants.
Last month, M&S announced it had teamed up with Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy and Prostate Cancer UK to encourage more men to take ‘a brief check’ for prostate cancer. The campaign has seen M&S leverage its UK market leading position in men’s underwear, along with its 32 million customers, 65,000 colleagues – and celebrity ambassadors, including football legend, Ian Wright – to spark a nationwide conversation about prostate cancer.
The campaign has encouraged men across the nation to use Prostate Cancer UK’s online Risk Checker – a quick and simple tool that enables men to find out their risk in 30 seconds and learn what they can do about it. At the end of January, Prostate Cancer UK revealed that prostate cancer is now England’s most common form of cancer, with cases rising by a quarter between 2019 and 2023. Today, one in eight men will get prostate cancer, and for Black men their risk is double. However, the earlier you find it, the easier it is to treat.
In just two weeks, over 75,000 men have completed the online risk checker – which can be found on Prostate Cancer UK’s website and has been promoted by M&S via a QR code available in all of our Clothing & Home stores at point of sale and fitting rooms, as well as on the product listing webpages of men’s Autograph underwear on M&S.com. According to Prostate Cancer UK, of these online checks, over 61,000 were deemed at higher risk of prostate cancer, and so as a result were given advice to speak to their GP to discuss the PSA blood test.
M&S will continue to donate £4 per pack for all men’s Autograph underwear (excluding vests and socks) to Prostate Cancer UK, until the end of March, to further support the charities lifechanging work.
Mitch Hughes, Menswear Director, Clothing & Home at M&S commented: “As the market leader in men’s underwear, we knew we had an opportunity to support Sir Chris’ inspiring message and spark a nationwide conversation about prostate cancer. I have been absolutely blown away by the response from our customers and colleagues so far. The funds raised will help support the incredible work of Prostate Cancer UK and we’re hoping to raise even more over the next few weeks of the campaign. Who knew a pair of pants could be so powerful!”
Laura Kerby, Chief Executive of Prostate Cancer UK, said: “Sir Chris has changed the way the UK thinks about prostate cancer – with more men now aware of their risk and the option to ask their GP about a simple PSA blood test, and politicians talking seriously about screening. His impact has already been huge, and we were thrilled to team up with Sir Chris and Marks & Spencer to keep this momentum going.
“Our partnership has already started changing and saving lives. Tens of thousands of men have taken that all-important first step of taking our online Risk Checker, which will certainly lead to more men getting an earlier, curable diagnosis who might otherwise have got much worse news. What’s more, the thousands of pounds raised by M&S customers will mean we can support more men living with prostate cancer, and fuel research into our TRANSFORM screening trial and better treatments. We’re grateful to Sir Chris, M&S, and shoppers across the UK for making this happen!”
To check your risk, visit Prostate Cancer UK’s online Risk Checker here. If you are at risk, the best first test for signs of prostate cancer is a simple PSA blood test, and you have the right to get one for free from your GP. If you’re concerned about prostate cancer, you can talk with our Specialist Nurses on 0800 074 8383 or via the Prostate Cancer UK website.
