A YORK student has been going into schools encouraging pupils to have open conversations about important health issues such as cancer.
Ollie Pick who recently took up the role of university ambassador for testicular cancer charity The OddBalls Foundation, visited Howden School to talk to pupils about the disease, the most prominent form in males aged 15-49.
The 22-year-old who is studying psychology at the University of York, was invited to speak at the Howden school by Ryan Gardiner, subject leader of PSHCE.
In five presentations to more than 700 students across Years 7 to 11 that set out to break down the stigma of talking openly about cancer, Ollie outlined why it is so important for individuals to check themselves for signs of the disease.
The presentations focused specifically on testicular cancer, which affects thousands of young men in the UK. Someone is diagnosed with the disease every hour, but if detected early, it is curable in over 95% of cases.
READ MORE: University of York student is OddBalls Foundation ambassador
Ollie said: “Through the school presentations I feel I’m making a tangible difference to the lives of students, arming them with the knowledge to take care of their personal health into the future. I’m extremely passionate about what I do and I hope to educate around 5000 students directly across the year. I’m well on my way having reached around 1000 so far.”
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Ryan said: “We really appreciated Ollie’s visit. He was absolutely right that a message such as this was perfect to be delivered by someone younger and more relevant to our students. The Oddballs Foundation really handle this type of topic with the sensitivity it deserves, but with a touch of much-needed humour too which really helps to break the ice and made it a lot more comfortable for the students too. We’ll have no hesitations in getting the guys back in again in the future.”
The OddBalls Foundation was founded in 2015 and is closely associated with colourful underwear brand OddBalls. The foundation’s university ambassadors visit schools, universities and workplaces, delivering talks and reminding boys and men to check their testicles, removing any embarrassment about that and the disease. Ambassadors also place The OddBalls Foundation’s Check Yourself Guides in public spaces and workplaces. During his visit, Ollie encouraged pupils to think and speak openly about health issues, and answered their questions.
In his role as a university ambassador for The OddBalls Foundation, Ollie is keen to hear from anyone who wants to learn more about testicular cancer and how to check for signs of the disease. He welcomes contact from anyone who wants to talk and can be reached by sending an email for their attention to Hello@TheOddBallsFoundation.com.
Click here to find out more about The OddBalls Foundation.
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