FOPS at the Rickmansworth Festival 18/19th May 2013
This was FOPS second outing with a Gazebo, having learnt important lessons in the first venture at Berkhamsted. This time the weather was good to us and setting up at 8:30 AM on Saturday morning went like clockwork with Tom Hartney , our son-in-law helping Dennis and Gabrielle to set up and furnish the Gazebo.
Phil Williams, Christine and Terry were early arrivals to help, joined at 10 o'clock by Ivor & Leila Delman. The second shift in the shape of Paul and Pat Bloomfield arrived at midday to be joined at 1 o'clock by Brian Fenton and at 3 o'clock by Trevor Walker and Christine.
We finally shut up shop at 5.30, packing the contents of the Gazebo into the car for safe custody overnight.
The start on Sunday morning was not so early thankfully as we didn't need to get there until 9.30 to set up. A fresh helper this time besides Christine was Jim, complete with guitar to attract the passers-by. Bryan and Joan Frewin came to lend a hand at 10 o'clock and they were joined at 1 o'clock by Aidan and Marie and, for a second marathon stint, Brian Fenton.
It was good also to see Denis McCarthy arrived unexpectedly to swell the throng and we all carried on until 4 PM when we decided we'd had enough, having put in 16 hours over the weekend, and packed up the shop to get away before the rush.
Four men each took a corner of the Gazebo and we had it down and in the car in jig time.
Over the whole weekend, we gave out in excess of 2250 leaflets and pointed at least a dozen men in the direction of the Chorleywood pharmacies to get a PSA test.
It was estimated that 25,000 people attended last year’s Festival and we were reliably informed that this year’s attendance was even greater.
We can therefore hope that we have achieved our objective of increasing awareness of the dangers of Prostate Cancer.
Well done everybody. An important job effectively carried out.
PS: “I was glad to put the word across to educate men to have a simple PSA blood test at their local clinic which could save their life.
Many men were unaware of this crucial & simple method of detecting possible prostate problems, so this was a victory for the whole team that helped to convey the message.”
Brian Fenton
