Plymouth’s Lesley-Ann Simpson is on a mission. She’s a woman who wants to save men’s lives.
Miss Simpson has been chief executive of beloved Plymouth charity The Chestnut Appeal for more than two decades.
In that time it has raised £7m, with no Government funding, to help men suffering with prostate cancer, the second most common cause of cancer death for males in the UK.
And now, Miss Simpson and her team have stepped up their fight by producing a book called Healing Surviving and Thriving, a guide for men diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The book is designed to help men who have been newly diagnosed and contains information about how to cope and advice about how to tackle cancer.
There are also case studies from local men who are survivors or are living with a diagnosis.
Healing, Surviving and Thriving, a book produced by Plymouth’s Chestnut Appeal for Men’s Health, with assistance of marketing consultancy Fuel(Image: William Telford)
“Half a million men are living with prostate cancer in this country and it is vital we are offering support,” said Miss Simpson.
“I have had the honour of being at the helm of this charity for two decades and having met many inspiring people
“There are survivors’ stories in the book and how to get your life back on track. Not everyone wants to go to a support group so this is a support group in a book.”
The book looks at what to do in the first 100 days after a diagnosis, how to stay fit, what to eat and drink, coping mechanisms, and has useful links and contacts.
Healing Surviving and Thriving is available at £12 on Amazon, or £1.77 on Kindle, with all the cash going to the charity.
But copies are being given out free to sufferers and a free pdf can be downloaded from the Chestnut Appeal website.
The aim is to do print runs of 500 at a time and hand them to men who have undergone treatment.
Copies have been sent to the King, Prince William and the Princess of Wales, and Miss Simpson said: “She has survived cancer and we think she will be interested.”
The book was produced with the help of Plymouth marketing agency Fuel , which did the design while Cornwall-based Phil Seeva did the copywriting.
Lesley-Ann Simpson, chief executive of the Chestnut Appeal for Men’s Health, and Steve Gyseman, director of Fuel, with Healing, Surviving and Thriving, a book produced by Plymouth’s Chestnut Appeal for Men’s Health, with assistance of marketing consultancy Fuel(Image: William Telford)
Fuel’s business development director Steve Gyseman said: “It has uplifting stories of survivors who are living their life with prostate cancer.”
Fuel and the Chestnut Appeal launched the publication at an event at Cornwall’s Eden Project, with a prostate cancer survivor telling his story.
Mr Gyseman said: “It’s a project to be proud of, making an active difference to communities, we love to do these things.”
The Chestnut Appeal was founded in 1999 at Derriford Hospital and covers all of Devon and Cornwall.
It focuses on prostate cancer, but also testicular and penile cancer. The Chestnut Appeal is still based at the hospital where there is a gold standard unit, one of only a handful nationally
It raises funds to pay for equipment and to make treatment easier, funds the work of specialist nurses and offers free holidays for those recently diagnosed with cancer.
Miss Simpson said: “We get no money from the Government, it all comes from people across Devon and Cornwall.”
The charity stages its own fund-raising events, such as its famous sponsored swims at Burgh Island and Plymouth’s Breakwater and Drake’s Island.
It also receives donations from organisations such as Rotary and Lions Clubs, and from business organisations. It doesn’t have any charity shops.
The charity has a staff of four, relying on volunteers for everything else. Miss Simpson has been chief executive for 23 years.
“I only meant to stay for two weeks,” she said. “I had been working for the BBC and heard a new charity had started so I said I would help for two weeks – but it’s been amazing.”
Prostate cancer is now the most prevalent cancer in the UK, having overtaken breast cancer.
Miss Simpson said it is essential men get checked as there is no national screening programme.
The Chestnut Appeal organises its own prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test events and Miss Simpson said: “Only seven out of 10 men go to see a GP when they are encouraged to do so by their wife or partner
“There is a one in eight chance of getting prostate cancer, but if it is in the family, or you are black, it is one in four
“They should get checked at 45 regardless of symptoms, for everyone else it is over 50 unless you have symptoms.”
She said symptoms include: “Any change in your waterworks, up and down in the night, any blood in urine, a change of sexual function.”
She said a balanced diet, staying fit and healthy and keeping to a good weight can help prevention and stressed: “There is a better outcome if caught early.”
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