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.