Curlers urged to seek help for risk of prostate cancer

● One man in every curling match ‘affected’ by the disease

Scottish curlers are being encouraged to brush up on their awareness of the risk of prostate cancer in a campaign backed by former European champions.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly-diagnosed cancer in men in Scotland, with one in eight at risk of the disease. Now property group GSS Developments are backing a promotional push they hope will encourage men not to put vital health conversations on ice.

Putting it in context – based on the one-in-eight statistic – for every “all male” curling match that takes place, someone in that game is statistically likely to be affected by prostate cancer. One man dies from the disease every 45 minutes, which is the average time it takes to contest just three ends of curling.

Former European curling champions Team Mouat, led by skip Bruce Mouat, are supporting the campaign by displaying the Prostate Cancer UK logo on their tops, which they will wear at national and international tournaments.

It is estimated there are more than 10,000 active curlers in Scotland. With a significant number being men aged 50 or over, they are a strong demographic match for those most likely at risk of prostate cancer.

GSS have also made a cash donation to the national cancer charity and have paid for advertisingawarenesssignage at Curl Edinburgh at Murrayfield, which is home to 80 different curling clubs and 1,600 curlers.

Mr Mouat, from Edinburgh, is the youngest skip to ever win a Grand Slam of Curling title and the 2018 European Champion. He said: “We are delighted to play our small part in raising awareness in our sport of the risks many men face from prostate cancer. We hope that by wearing the Prostate Cancer UK brand the curling community will understand better the one-in-eight risk statistic and more men will seek important health information.”

Bronwyn O’riordan, Prostate Cancer UK fundraising manager in Scotland, said: “It’s fantastic to see another sport engaging with us. This is a great opportunity to raise awareness amongst curling members and fans.

“I hope by learning more about the at-risk groups, including men over 50, Scottish curlers access the services of Prostate Cancer UK.”