Two Nottingham students will be combining their studies with another role in education after signing up to support a testicular cancer charity.
Alfie Bouchier and Seb May, who attend Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham respectively, have both secured the role of university ambassador for The OddBalls Foundation and from the autumn term will be helping the organisation to encourage men to check themselves for signs of the disease, the most prominent form in males aged 15-49.
Twenty-year-old Alfie, originally from Chesham in Buckinghamshire, is studying Sport and Exercise Science at NTU.
He said: “I wanted to get involved with The OddBalls Foundation because my uncle was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
“Luckily, he caught it early and is now a year cancer free.
“The experience motivated me to help raise awareness of cancer and get people talking to take the scare factor out of it.
“I’ve also seen the amazing events the foundation puts on and I wanted to get involved while in Nottingham and play a part in raising as much money as possible for the cause.”
Seb, 22, from Stratford-upon-Avon, is an MA Politics and Contemporary History student at the University of Nottingham.
He said: “As the University of Nottingham’s first ambassador, I’m really looking forward to working with The OddBalls Foundation during this coming year.
“I’m planning to work closely with the students’ union and other structures in the university to raise awareness of testicular cancer among young men.
“On top of delivering talks to local schools, I’m hoping to get stuck into numerous fundraising events and to help support the foundation with any campaigns taking place in the Midlands.”
Both keen rugby players, the students have also got involved in various other aspects of university life and were recruited by an existing university ambassador from The OddBalls Foundation during a visit to Nottingham.
In their role as university ambassadors for The OddBalls Foundation, Alfie and Seb are keen to have an open dialogue with men who want to learn more about testicular cancer and how to check for signs of the disease.
The OddBalls Foundation was founded in 2015 and is closely associated with colourful underwear brand OddBalls.
Someone is diagnosed with testicular cancer every hour in the UK, but if detected early, it is curable in over 90 per cent of cases.
The foundation’s university ambassadors visit schools, universities and workplaces, delivering talks on testicular cancer, and reminding boys and men to check their testicles, removing any stigma and embarrassment about that and the disease.
The ambassadors also place The OddBalls Foundation’s Check Yourself Guides in public spaces and workplaces.
They welcome contact from anyone who wants to talk and can be reached by sending an email for their attention to Hello@TheOddBallsFoundation.com.
To find out more about The OddBalls Foundation and its work visit their website and Facebook page or follow @oddballsfdn on Instagram and Twitter.
Lead image: Rucsandra Moldoveanu