PRESS RELEASE DATE 31 March 2014

Cancer Focus Man Van Pulls up in Scotch Street , Cancer Focus ’s Man Van will be visiting Richmount Rural Community Association’s community centre at 2 Derrylettiff Road,Scotch Street on Thursday 10 April from 1.00pm to 5.00pm. Hosted by Richmount Rural Community Association, the Man Van will bring life- saving messages and health checks to men in and around the Village of Scotch Street and the surroundings area.

The Cancer Focus Man Van is a mobile unit which delivers one-to-one health awareness sessions and health checks to men at various venues across counties Down and .

Sandra Gordon, Cancer Focus ManAlive coordinator said, “Traditionally men are reluctant to talk about health issues or seek professional help. As a result, if cancer is diagnosed it may be at a later and perhaps more advanced stage. Increasing awareness of the signs and symptoms of various cancers and offering advice on how to adopt a healthier lifestyle will help empower men to take control of their own health, lower their risk of cancer and encourage earlier detection.

“By offering health promotion services onboard a mobile unit that can travel to a community’s doorstep, we are able to reach out to even more men in the Southern Trust area – an area where research has shown significant inequalities between male and female life expectancy1.”

Staffed by a Cancer Focus Health Promotion Nurse and Senior Cancer Prevention staff, men will be able to access free health checks including blood pressure, blood glucose and body composition measurements, and receive weight management advice and information on smoking cessation. Advice on early detection, on-the-spot cancer prevention information and referral and sign posting opportunities to reduce men’s risk of cancer and to improve their overall health will also be available.

The Cancer Focus Man Van is part of the ManAlive project funded by the Big Lottery Fund Reaching Communities Programme.

If you would like to book an appointment in advance please contact Sandra Gordon on 028 9066 3281 Alternatively, come along to the van between 1.00pm to 5.00 pm

In the morning the Man Van will be on site from 10.00 to 12.00 dealing specifically with the members of the Richmount Elders group.

To find out more information about the Cancer Focus Man Van, or if you are a business or community group interested in bringing the service to your area, contact Cancer Focus on 079 7750 1908 or visit www.manalive.co.

ENDS

For more information contact Caroline Mulhern at Cancer Focus on 028 9068 0735 or @cancerfocusni.org or Louise Carey at Cancer Focus on 028 9068 0763 / 07884 362749 / [email protected]

NOTES TO EDITOR 1 It’s a man’s world - or is it? Southern Men: A study of the life expectancy of men living in the Southern area of Northern Ireland. PHA May 2010.

In Northern Ireland: . Men die about five years younger than women, . Men have higher death rates than women for all the leading causes of death, . Poor lifestyles in men are responsible for a high proportion of chronic diseases, . Men delay going to see their GP or health care worker. This can lead to diseases being detected at a more advanced stage, leaving less effective treatment options and poorer outcomes.

Above bulleted information from: Men’s Health in Northern Ireland: Tackling the root causes of men’s (ill) health, March 2011. Man Matters Policy Briefing Paper No 1