£6,250 donation to PCaSO from Billingshurst Lions Golf Day

Billingshurst & District Lions Club had the pleasure of presenting a cheque for £6,250 raised at their annual Charity Golf day to the Charity, PCaSO (Prostate Cancer Support Organisation) during another successful Lions event hosting free PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) screening tests at the Billingshurst Community Centre on Saturday, 20 June 2026.

An original allocation of 300 appointments was oversubscribed and ultimately 343 tests were processed through the system. The results showed that no more than 7 men (2%) were found to have out-of-range ‘Red’ levels of PSA that warrant further investigation via their GP’s, (but usually over 50% of such high readings are due to non-cancerous factors).

A further 4 men (1%) had PSA levels at the upper end of normal range, hence ‘Amber’, and advised to have regular checks and refer to their GP if they have higher risk factors. High Risk factors for prostate cancer, where 1 man in 4 is at higher risk, include close family history of prostate, breast or ovarian cancer, African Caribbean heritage, or BRCA1/2 genetic condition.

A PSA Test is a simple blood test that measures the amount of antigen produced by the prostate entering the blood. It is not a direct test for cancer, but a moderately raised reading can be an indicator of a prostate problem; a high reading should trigger further tests to determine if there is a need for any treatment.

The event was run entirely by volunteers with testing conducted by trained phlebotomists taking blood from a vein in the arm, that was sent to Worthing NHS Hospital for analysis. Individual results are then loaded onto the secure bookings website and men receive E-mails to log-on to view their result, while those who requested it, will get their result by post.

In a subsequent letter of thanks, Lance Allen, Secretary for the Charity, wrote, “I'm writing on behalf of PCaSO to thank Billingshurst & District Lions as the event's host and for the very generous donation of £6.250 to PCaSO. This donation is gratefully appreciated and ensures that we are able to continue with our charitable objectives of Prostate Cancer Awareness, Support and PSA testing. PCaSO receives no central funding and has no paid staff or offices. Our joint testing events can be busy days, but are helped by the friendly and positive team spirit between the Lions, phlebotomists and PCaSO volunteers.”

Commenting on the Golf Day, Past President Paul Roberts, who masterminded the whole event, said, “The Charity chosen this year was a very suitable one which struck chords with many of the people who supported the event. We have run this event for over 20 years now, and I cannot recall an occasion when so many players have made a point of coming up and thanking us for a great day. We are very much indebted to our Golfers, Sponsors and to the Slinfold Golf Club for their hospitality.”

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