Bedale AFC launches 'see through' football kits with sausage firm Heck for Male Cancer Awareness Week

Bedale AFC is teaming up with upmarket sausage firm, Heck, to launch the world’s first “see through” football kit to raise money for prostate and testicular cancer charities.
By Ros Snowdon
Published 22nd Jul 2021, 06:00 BST
Bedale AFC's kit this year is in support of the Male Cancer Awareness WeekBedale AFC's kit this year is in support of the Male Cancer Awareness Week
Bedale AFC's kit this year is in support of the Male Cancer Awareness Week

The football club’s 2021 strip is part of a new ‘LET’S BE CLEAR’ about male cancer campaign for Male Cancer Awareness Week (October 13 to 19).

In conjunction with Heck, the team is raising awareness of two of the UK’s biggest killers in men - prostate and testicular cancer – with the new strip that swaps Heck for ‘Check’ branding to encourage men to check themselves regularly and see their GP if they spot a problem.

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Club chairman, Martyn Coombs, said: “Previous kits had a quite implicit cancer message but this year, the testicular and prostate cancer message is far more explicit with two giant arrows pointing to the genital area as a reminder for men to check their testicles regularly and on the reverse it says Prost above the number 8 with arrows again directing the eye to prostate area.”

The kit swaps HECK for ‘CHECK’ branding to encourage men to check themselves regularly and see their GP if they spot a problem.The kit swaps HECK for ‘CHECK’ branding to encourage men to check themselves regularly and see their GP if they spot a problem.
The kit swaps HECK for ‘CHECK’ branding to encourage men to check themselves regularly and see their GP if they spot a problem.

To date, the club has worked with the Bedale-based food company to raise almost £200,000 for Prostate Cancer UK through shirt sales and other fundraising initiatives, and it is hoping to reach a goal of £250,000 by the end of the year.

The two joined forces after both losing loved ones to prostate cancer. Heck’s co-founder, Andrew Keeble, lost his father at the age of 77 and Steve Garbett, a good friend of the football club, died in 2014.

Andrew’s son Jamie was also diagnosed with testicular cancer at the age of 25, but after a trip to his GP it was caught early, treated and he is now in remission. Team Garby was established in 2015 to raise awareness of and money for Prostate Cancer UK.