Whitchurch Cancer Survivor Nominated for Citizen of the Year Award

A prostate cancer survivor, who has orchestrated cancer screening sessions for thousands of men, has been nominated for his town’s citizen of the year award. David Simcock, a resident of Whitchurch, Shropshire, received his diagnosis in 2011. Following his recovery, he chose to establish these screening sessions within the town, facilitated by the Whitchurch Rotary Club, leading to approximately 3,500 men undergoing testing thus far. “I thought: ‘I don’t want anybody else to go through this’, because you do not know you’ve got it. You don’t feel it, you don’t feel ill, it’s a shock,” Mr Simcock stated. “I was diagnosed quite accidentally, really,” he recounted. He visited medical professionals for an entirely different ailment and was subsequently directed to undergo a blood test, as he had not had one recently. Subsequently, Mr Simcock was called back for a series of tests and biopsies, following notification that his prostate specific antigen (PSA) level was elevated. A diagnosis of prostate cancer led him to opt for the surgical removal of his prostate. This personal experience served as the impetus for him to initiate the screening sessions. “The first thing you’ve got to do is raise money,” he commented. “Up to now, we’ve done roughly 3,500 men and that has cost us nearly £80,000.” These testing events have taken place annually, with the exception of the period during the pandemic. “The first year I had about 135 men come,” Mr Simcock noted. “This year I had 957 men come through.” “We had a lady send a cheque about three weeks ago for £1,000 because we saved her father.” The Whitchurch Citizen of the Year award is administered by the Whitchurch Town Council. The recipient of the award will be revealed on 23 November during the town’s Christmas lights switch-on ceremony. Additional nominees comprise a volunteer who has committed over 50 years to the Royal British Legion, and a woman who manages a volunteer group dedicated to caring for cats. “I’m really very humbled about this, because all I’ve done is help people,” he expressed. “I’m just absolutely excited about it.” BBC Shropshire content can be accessed on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC does not assume responsibility for the content of external websites. Information concerning our external linking policy is available.