Bus operator First Kernow has donated £1,320 of advertising space on its buses to the fight against prostate cancer.

One man dies every hour from prostate cancer in the UK, with an average of 132 dying in Cornwall alone each year, and one in eight men across the country will be diagnosed with the disease at some stage in their lives.

Prostate Cancer UK was chosen as FirstGroup’s Charity of Choice partners following a vote of 25,000 employees from its rail, tram and bus operations across the UK, including colleagues at First Solent. The three year partnership, which began in April 2015, aims to raise £1m in cash and in kind to support Prostate Cancer UK’s work to help more men survive prostate cancer and enjoy a better quality of life.

Alex Carter, managing director of First Kernow, said: “We are proud to support Prostate Cancer UK and delighted that many vehicles in our fleet feature the provocative and powerful posters.

“The key aims of our partnership with Prostate Cancer UK are to ensure First Kernow employees, customers and the wider community know their risk of prostate cancer, raising awareness of the disease and the support available from the charity. I’m proud of the enthusiasm and passion that so many of our employees have shown for supporting Prostate Cancer UK - it is truly inspiring.”

Angela Culhane, chief executive at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “It is fantastic to see our adverts displayed on buses in Cornwall, and we are very grateful to First Kernow for donating this space.

“Prostate cancer affects around a third of a million men in the UK, and nearly 11,000 men die every year from it. But not enough men are aware of it, so we needed an advert which is eye catching and attention grabbing.

“The message is clear – a man of the hour dies every hour from prostate cancer – and this must change. By getting on board and joining Men United, First Bus customers are helping us fight back against the disease.”

Key symptoms of prostate cancer include: needing to urinate more frequently, often during the night, needing to rush to the toilet, difficulty in starting to urinate, straining or taking a long time while urinating, weak flow, and

feeling that your bladder has not emptied fully.

Anyone with concerns about prostate cancer can contact Prostate Cancer UK’s Specialist Nurses in confidence on 0800 074 8383 or via the online live chat, instant messaging service at www.prostatecanceruk.org.

The specialist nurse phone service is free to landlines and open from 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday with late opening until 8pm on Wednesdays.