- Prostate Cancer UK publishes impact report following three-year corporate partnership
- Rail station supervisor – and prostate cancer survivor – is “totally gobsmacked” by FirstGroup’s donations to the charity
As FirstGroup’s highly successful partnership with Prostate Cancer UK concludes, the charity has published an impact report to highlight progress that the two organisations have made together.
Over the course of three years, the partnership has funded production of one million ‘Know Your Prostate’ pocket guides and seen £1.5 million in value donated to the charity.
The new report summarises key partnership achievements, through funds raised, awareness heightened, and lives impacted.
One person who has been directly affected by prostate cancer is Great Western Railway station supervisor Joey Stephens.
A popular figure at Bristol Temple Meads station, Joey was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in 2014 and has since undergone radiotherapy, hormone therapy and the full removal of his prostate. Following a long-term battle, in March he finally tested negative for the disease.
However, the treatment came with life-changing side effects. Joey was left impotent and incontinent, something that was incredibly challenging for he and his wife to deal with.
Despite this, Joey is delighted by the improvement in his health and remains characteristically positive about the future: “My last blood test showed no sign of prostate cancer. Words can’t describe how happy my family are at the news.”
Since his diagnosis, Joey has tirelessly championed Prostate Cancer UK by speaking about his personal experience and raising vital funds for research, to ensure more men survive.
On hearing the results of the partnership, Joey said: “I am absolutely over the moon – totally gobsmacked – to hear what my colleagues have achieved. To say that it has made my day would probably be the understatement of the year. My family and I are so pleased, and proud, to be part of this. And we will be for the rest of our lives.”
“I am so proud of our company's involvement because Prostate Cancer UK are world leaders in supporting families, and ultimately keeping men alive. If I can prevent just one man suffering like I have, it would make me very happy.”
Prostate Cancer UK was chosen as FirstGroup’s UK charity partner in 2014, following a ballot of thousands of employees, and has been the main beneficiary of FirstGroup’s corporate responsibility activities between April 2015 and March 2018.
The partnership set out with an ambitious target of £1 million to be donated over the course of three years, in the form of cash, employee fundraising, and the commercial value of gifts in kind, including advertising space on buses and at railway stations. The company has since surpassed its initial goal by more than £500,000.
A copy of the report, including the stories of Joey and other survivors, is available here.