A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Very Healthy New Year!

Jonathan Prince and Mel Lacey, joint Founder Trustees of our charity, would like to wish all our supporters and friends a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Very Healthy New Year!

Thank you for all your fabulous support in 2012 and we look forward to an even more successful and life-saving 2013.

2013 Calendar - ‘Twelve Shades of Blue’

In November 2011, in Baldock, Hertfordshire, Wayne Carter and a few friends were growing moustaches for the annual prostate cancer awareness campaign, Movember, when they hit upon an idea to do something different for 2012.

“The Movember event is excellent,” said Wayne, “but we wanted to give a bit more to help raise awareness of male cancers, so we decided to strip off and make a male calendar.”

And that was just the start of a project which kept Wayne, his friends (too numerous to name individually, but all equal partners in the project) and professional photographer Adam Elgood, busy for much of 2012. The result is an amazing calendar which features the young men, tastefully devoid of all clothing, bravely posing at a number of locations in and around Baldock.

“We had to make it fun, so we chose lots of different locations. For example, at a florist’s the lady who owned it gave us permission providing she could take the photographs!”

The calendars, entitled ‘Twelve Shades of Blue’ go on sale this week at £6 each and, as well as different monthly locations, include good health guidance for men – and women as well. Wayne chose the Blue Ribbon Foundation as the charity he wanted to link the calendars to, and has been working with them to finalise the project. After the cost of producing them, he will be donating all the profits to the charity.

One of the trustees, Mel Lacey, said, “If I am honest, when Wayne first contacted me, I wasn’t confident this idea would actually be achieved. But throughout the year, he has never given up and I know there have been a number of hurdles he has encountered. However, the finished product is excellent. It includes some great and funny photographs, balanced with some really important health guidance. The Blue Ribbon Foundation applauds the bravery of Wayne and his friends in completing this project. We are always looking for ways of raising awareness of male cancers and male health issues; this calendar achieves that in a very entertaining and informative way.”

The calendars are £6 + p&p, email Mel (below)

Wayne Carter can be contacted on 07921 000115

Mel can be contacted at: mel@blueribbonfoundation.org.uk

MOVEMBER – are you supporting the annual event of ProstateCancerUK?

Lots of men are happily taking a break from shaving during November to support the important fund-raising efforts of the UK’s biggest prostate cancer charity.

Have you considered joining their ranks?

All you have to do is visit www.prostatecanceruk.org , register and then get your friends to sponsor you – it’s not too late to join in!

A Giant Step for ‘Menkind’ – our BIG Event at the House of Commons!

Wednesday May 9, 2012, saw the Blue Ribbon Foundation taking another giant step in its quest to raise the profile of male cancers and male health issues. And what better place is there to do that than the Palace of Westminster – the Houses of Parliament.

A ‘national launch’ event sponsored by our long-term supporters, Hastings Direct, enabled MPs of all political parties to meet with the Trustees, supporters and associated organisations of our charity to discuss ideas and the way forward.

BRF Patron, Chloe Smith MP for Norwich North and Economic Secretary to the Treasury, welcomed guests to the event and spoke of her pride to be involved with the work of the Blue Ribbon Foundation.

Chair of Trustees, Jonathan Prince thanked Chloe before outlining what facts suggested that he was ‘a fairly typical male’. “I used to do some sports and then in later life, I joined a gym, but like most men, I very rarely went.” When it came to visiting his GP, Jonathan said he would convince himself not to go by saying, “I’m OK and I will be fine.” But he was made very aware of his shortcomings when he was diagnosed with Diabetes in his 50s. So Jonathan started to look more deeply at male health issues.

“I learned that 40% of men die prematurely before the age of 75 and, in fact, men are twice as likely as women to be dead before that age of 65.”

Jonathan started to think about what could be done to change these facts…

Later at the event, Mel Lacey, a Trustee of the BRF, spoke to the guests and described how, almost four years ago, he was knocked for six by the worrying news he had a serious strain of Prostate cancer which required major surgery. He had no symptoms prior to the diagnosis.

Mel made a pledge to himself that if he recovered, he would research ideas of what could be done to educate men about the health risks they face…

After trawling through many pages on the internet, Mel chose the Pink Ribbon Foundation as a good starting point. He telephoned their office and spoke, for the first time ever, to their Chairman, Jonathan Prince…

The rest is history!

Edward Fitzmaurice, the Chief Executive of Hastings Direct, ‘put some icing on the cake’ of funding the launch, by also announcing for the next six months, the commission the BRF receives from the insureblue products, would be doubled! And if that wasn’t enough, he presented Jonathan with yet another cheque for £1000!

Among other guests were two very important families from Norfolk. Anita Barber and her daughters Sharon and Katie and Jane Davies with her son Jeremy and her daughter, Sarah. Both families had lost husbands/fathers to cancer and both very generously gave the donations collected at the funerals, to the BRF.

Mel publicly thanked them and explained how their generosity helped lay the foundations for the charity.

Before the very successful event finished, a ‘royle’ event of a different kind took place when Jim Royle, of the famous BBC tv series, the Royle Family, happened by the door and was immediately pounced on by guest, Trish Murphy. Trish told him about the charity and persuaded him to wear a Blue Ribbon which he (actor Ricky Tomlinson) was very happy to do, promising to wear it as often as possible!

Now much easier to reach the website of our super sponsors, ‘InsureBlue’…

At the bottom of every main page of this site, there are now links that take you direct to the ‘InsureBlue’ website.

‘InsureBlue’ is a company set up by Hastings Insurance Services Ltd to offer everybody the opportunity of getting something for themselves and giving something to the BRF at the same time – a win/win situation for us all!

Simply click on the link and take the first step to obtaining exceptionally good insurance quotes and when you take out a policy, ‘InsureBlue’ makes a donation to us…

Thank you for your support!

Blue Ribbon Foundation’s first-ever Patron

On Friday 16 December 2011 Chloe Smith MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, officially became the BRF’s first-ever Patron in a short ceremony in Norwich.

Whatever your politics, please bear in mind that Chloe, who is MP for Norwich North, has been supporting the fund-raising efforts of the charity since day one! Chloe is working with us to raise the profile of male health issues and getting men talking more openly about their personal concerns.

We sincerely thank Chloe for agreeing to become Patron, for her support in the past and for her undoubted support in the future.

Spot cancer early and increase the chances of treating it successfully…

Commenting on a report that cancer cases are likely to rise by 45% in the UK over the coming years, Professor Peter Johnson, Cancer Research UK’s chief clinician, said: “We’ve witnessed huge improvements in recent decades, with cancer survival doubling over the last 40 years.

“But it’s also important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of cancer, so we can spot it early. Generally, the earlier cancer is spotted the easier it is to treat successfully, so know what is normal for you and if you spot anything unusual, get it checked out by your doctor.”

His comments came after a new report suggested that cancer rates are likely to soar by 45% over the next 20 years…

http://uk.health.lifestyle.yahoo.net/UK-cancer-cases-expected-to-soar-by-45-per-cent-by-2030.htm

And this is just another reason to back the Blue Ribbon Foundation’s crusade to raise the profile of cancers, in our case male cancers, and get more people talking openly about them.

Early detection CAN and WILL save lives. please support our campaign!

The Blue Ribbon Foundation

The Blue Ribbon Foundation is one of the country’s newest charities and initially much of our work will be establishing our structure and operating methods. We want to do this carefully and thoroughly, taking time to ensure our overheads always remain extremely low. That way, any income can be directed to where it can have maximum benefit at any given time.

We are still a long way from inviting applications for grants…

Our initial income will be used to establish various means of communication including the manufacture and purchase of display and contact material.

We will also be researching how we can establish links with existing specialist charities to ensure we work together in the best possible way to benefit patients and public.

So, for the time being, please bear with us whilst we continue to lay our foundation’s foundations…

Thanks for visiting our website.

38,000 cases of bowel cancer diagnosed every year in the UK…

According to the NHS, there are 38,000 cases of bowel cancer diagnosed every year in the UK – and 16,000 of these people will die from the disease.

About 8o% of the cases occur in people over the age of 60, but younger men and women can and do get diagnosed. A diet that is high in red or processed meat can increase the risk, as does being overweight. If the disease has previously occurred in your family, or you are a heavy smoker or drinker, you may also be at risk.

To find out more about the disease, including what the symptoms are, go to:

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cancer-of-the-colon-rectum-or-bowel/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Great news as we officially become a registered charity!

The Trustees of the Blue Ribbon Foundation are very pleased to announce that our registration process with the Charity Commissioners has now been completed. The BRF’s charity number is 1141261.

Chair of Trustees, Jonathan Prince, said, “This most important stage of establishing our charity was protracted because of a change in the law that necessitated the resubmission of our application. Unfortunately, when we completed that process, the submission of our new Trust Deed coincided with the end of the financial year, a time when the commissioners are very busy indeed.

“But that is behind us now and we are able to get on with the business of doing our bit to raise the profile of male cancers and other illnesses and hopefully we will help save many lives by doing that!”

“We thank all our supporters, especially our main sponsors InsureBlue.com, for their patience during the registration period.

“Now it is onwards and upwards for the Blue Ribbon Foundation!”

Wonderful night at the Rushcutters, Norwich…

Following the very successful fund-raising event at Rushcutters, Norwich, in 2011, the very popular riverside pub/restaurant has pledged to become a regular supporter of the BRF. A follow-up event will be held in 2012 and it is hoped these will take place annually.

We sincerely thank the general managers, Ben and Trisha for their wonderful support.

These are some pictures from the 2011 event…

Ben and Trisha – together with all their staff – brightened the evening for customers by wearing some fabulous blue costumes…

Superman and Superwoman were both there, together with many other characters from stage and screen. Some good-natured banter rippled through the restaurant when one of the waiters appeared wearing a blue Ipswich Town football kit in this yellow and green city, but it was all in fun…

At the last count, the donation for the BRF was standing at just over £1500 and was still rising. This great total included the generous gesture made by staff who all donated their evening’s tips to our cause.

A massive thank you from the Blue Ribbon Foundation to the lovely people at the Rushcutters, Norwich!

Cancer rise and sperm quality fall ‘due to chemicals’

Sperm quality significantly deteriorated and testicular cancers increased over recent years, a Finnish study says.

The study in the International Journal of Andrology looked at men born between 1979 and 1987.

The University of Turku research suggests environmental reasons, particularly exposure to industrial chemicals, may be behind both trends.

A UK expert said chemicals may affect the development of male babies.

Finnish men were studied as they have previously been shown to have some of the highest sperm counts in the world. But scientists were never sure if this was because of their genetics or because they were exposed to fewer harmful chemicals…

Read the full article on the BBC website at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12634109

The Blue Ribbon Foundation

Primarily using this website, the Blue Ribbon Foundation will be building up a portfolio of basic information about male cancers and male health issues. We are not and will not be a ‘specialist’ organisation relating to any specific condition.

However, we will be encouraging men to be more open about their health problems and we will be providing a sign-posting service – pointing men in the right direction for more specialist help.

If you cannot find the information you need – contact us and we will do all we can to assist you.

The Medical Director of one of East Anglia’s leading hospitals has sent a message of support to the Blue Ribbon Foundation…

Professor Krishna Sethia, Medical Director and Consultant Urologist at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, said:

“I welcome any positive move that will make men more aware of health issues relating to themselves. Men are often too embarrassed to discuss their symptoms but they need to, as early diagnosis can make a significant difference to their chances of successful treatment. I support the efforts of the Blue Ribbon Foundation in getting men to talk more openly about their health and I wish the foundation every success.”

Norwich North MP sends the BRF a message of support…

“In my view, discussions about male health issues, especially amongst men themselves, are not heard to the same extent as those of women talking about their problems.

“Early diagnosis is vital in illnesses such as cancer, where speedy treatment can save more lives. Too many men are dying unnecessarily and many of those lives could be saved by earlier action.

“I wish every success to the foundation as it sets about the task of raising the profile of male cancers and other health issues.

“I’ll be among the first to wear a blue ribbon and I hope many others across the country will do likewise to show their support!”