Yearly Archives: 2023

Info to be confirmed.

Member – Tackle Prostate Cancer

In 2018 following the takeover of GKN where he was the Director of Organisational Development, he left the corporate world where he had started his life as an Engineer. He completed a Masters in Coaching and Mentoring Practice completing this with a dissertation on one-to-one peer coaching in men with Prostate Cancer. Aidan voluntarily delivers training to men to become Prostate Buddies, or one-to-one coaches to other men in their community who have been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer.

In 2015 Aidan was diagnosed with aggressive, high risk Prostate Cancer following a routine work medical which included a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test. He was aged 53 and had no family history of Prostate Cancer. Aidan has since had surgery, salvage radiotherapy, Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT), and chemotherapy to treat the cancer.

He started attending his local Prostate Cancer Support Group in Solihull in 2015 which he now runs after the founding Chairperson left the area. Aidan now supports the Sutton Coldfield Prostate Cancer Support Group and has started up a virtual / Zoom Group for men diagnosed with Advanced Prostate Cancer.

Currently, Aidan is Co-Chair of Tackle Prostate Cancer – The National Federation of Prostate Cancer Support Groups, of which there are over 90 member groups: https://tackleprostate.org

He volunteers as an Awareness Speaker for Prostate Cancer UK delivering talks to a variety of organisations spreading awareness about Prostate Problems: https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information-and-support/risk-and-symptoms/about-prostate-cancer/book-an-awareness-activity. He is also a Patient Advocate on the West Midlands Cancer Alliance Urology Expert Advisor Group https://wmcanceralliance.nhs.uk

Living now with Stage 4 cancer Aidan is a big believer in the benefits of exercise, both physically and mentally, when living with and beyond cancer.

Chairman

I am personally the Founder of Men’s Health & Wellbeing Group (Midlands).

By profession am an International Business Consultant which support SME’s start-up & established companies’ growth & expansion.

I have been very active in sport & leisure activities over the years, namely football, cricket, badminton, table tennis, jogging. However, over last few years not participated in many of these sporting activities.

In recent years due to the demise of the NHS Health Services, increasing waiting lists for minor and serious illnesses. This together with some questionable health advice and support being given to me by our medical experts. Also, acknowledging many other men around me had also experienced very poor health advice and support, consequently led to set this group up. The group was to be a collective voice to for more accountability and improved men’s health services we receive or not.

This health and wellbeing group which has been established is very much a self-help group. Ultimately, with men sharing their health & wellbeing knowledge, understanding and experiences with each other.

Men’s Health Specialists are invited each month to speak to the group. In the future it is planned to hold weekly drop-in sessions with an option for individual sessions to encourage better health lifestyles & choices. To-date we have had Health Specialists speak to the group on Mental Health, Diabetes, Prostate, Sport and Physical Activities. we have many others scheduled for the following months.

From statistical data and demise of the NHS there is a definite need for groups like ours since remarkable there is no national Men’s Health Strategy in place. However, there is a Women Health Strategy which confirms the massive national gender inequality. Also, our national consensus data confirms that over 20% of our men do not live to 65 years old! This data is made up of suicides and preventable health conditions. But what is our society doing to reduce these frightening statistics? Definitely, not enough!!

The other areas we have clearly identified is that with the many Men’s Health Services in our region 1) They are several important gaps of health & wellbeing support missing which need to be plugged and created 2) The men’s health and wellbeing services that do exist are not joined up or not very well and this needs to be improved with total patient care being the focus.