From a Conversation in a Pub to Saving Lives: A Community Story

It starts with a conversation in a pub.

A story shared with honesty.

People refusing to give up when something truly matters.

And organisations like The Cancer Screening Trust stepping in to turn determination into action.

It began, quite simply, in a village pub.

I had been invited to The Brawns Den in Brandon, County Durham, while helping a local group install a defibrillator. It was there, among familiar faces and everyday conversation, that I encountered something far more powerful than I expected, a group of men driven by purpose.

Two of them were survivors of prostate cancer.

Together, they had founded the Durham and District Prostate Cancer Group, led by Les Cleckner, with a simple but urgent mission: to raise awareness of what is often called the silent killer.

Les shared his story with me.

He spoke openly about his diagnosis, his treatment, and his recovery. But more than that, he spoke with a passion that was impossible to ignore. His determination to ensure other men didn’t go through the same uncertainty without knowledge or support was, quite frankly, infectious.

As Chair of the local Community Hall, I listened as Les explained his ambition to organise a large-scale PSA testing event for men in the area.

It felt like something I simply had to support.

We booked a date at Brandon Community Hall. The plan was in motion.

A short time later, Les rang me. The project, he explained, was proving far more complicated than expected. The logistics, the medical requirements, the coordination, it was overwhelming. Reluctantly, the decision was made to cancel the booking for the PSA testing event.

It raised an important question: why is PSA testing not straightforward?

I spoke to a couple of medical contacts to explore what might be possible. Then I made a call that would change everything.  I reached out to The Cancer Screening Trust (CST).

Within days, Les and I were sitting side by side in front of my computer, speaking directly with Frank, Dan and Ruby. What followed was nothing short of remarkable.

In just three weeks, Les’s vision, which had seemed too difficult, too complex, became a reality.

Together, we organised a two-day screening event at our Community Hall.

Sixty-four men came forward for testing.

Each man received their results within a week.

Sixty-four men who might otherwise have remained unaware.

Sixty-two tests were normal.

Two were abnormal.

Early detection that could make all the difference.

Well done to Les Cleckner and his team at the Durham and District Prostate Cancer Group, whose determination never wavered throughout.

I would also like to extend a sincere thank you to Frank, Dan and Ruby at CST, who were extremely professional, helpful, and a pleasure to deal with in making the testing possible. The feedback from all the men involved was overwhelmingly positive.

It also shows what can happen when community connections come together with organisations like The Cancer Screening Trust and Brandon Community Hall, to make something meaningful possible.

This is true care in our community.