Awareness evening for prostate and testicular cancer to be held at Northampton Waitrose

An awareness evening for prostate and testicular cancer is to be held at a Northampton Waitrose store in mid-November.

The free event will take place from 6.30pm until 8pm on November 17 at the cafe in Kingsthorpe Waitrose, in Harborough Road.

It is being supported by Oddballs Testicular Cancer Charity, who is bringing a speaker, and the Northampton Prostate Support Group.

The money raised by the evening, and Waitrose’s other fundraising efforts, will be split between Oddballs and Cancer Research.

Organiser and Waitrose employee Marion Chown, a breast cancer survivor who has organised many fundraising and awareness events over the years, said: “I’ve done events for women but it was vital we did something for men.

“We all know the importance of encouraging both men and boys to go to the doctors and speak more openly about what is wrong.

“The quicker you can catch anything, the better.”

Recently, four employees and the branch manager of Kingsthorpe’s Waitrose posed for photos in the training room in just their underwear for the cause.

On the day of the event (November 17), there will also be a support table set up in store for customers to stop by and seek advice if they need it.

The last event Marion organised was for Breast Cancer Now in 2019, at the same location.

As a breast cancer survivor herself, the Waitrose worker invited an oncologist consultant along, as well as the Northampton Breast Friends group as speakers, which Marion is a member of.

At Marion’s Waitrose branch, which she has worked at for 31 years, five people have had breast cancer over a three year period and sadly another two passed away.

Marion had cancer in 2015 and 2017, and has suffered from both thyroid and breast cancer.

She said: “These fundraising events mean a hell of a lot to me, as the gene I had five years ago was rare.”

Now Marion has had a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction, there is a 97 percent chance she will not get breast cancer again due to the hereditary gene she had – and she “cannot thank Northampton General Hospital enough”.

Her daughter, who was also found to have the gene, had the same surgery done aged 35 before the cancer had time to appear.

They both had to go for yearly appointments at the hospital prior to this and Marion described it as a “ticking time bomb”.

This event had been planned prior to the pandemic, and it is now finally able to go ahead. Marion hopes for the same “fantastic response” as the last event received, as “the branch really comes together”.

To raise money, members of staff will be asked to buy a ribbon badge and make a donation, as well as the fact players from Northampton Town Football Club will be making an appearance at the awareness evening.