Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation pledges £500,000 to tackle health inequalities

The Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation, a long-term supporter of Prostate Cancer UK, has pledged £500,000 over the next four years to support our lifesaving work.

Since 2008, the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation has donated more than £1 million to save and improve the lives of men with prostate cancer.

This generous pledge will help us address the major healthcare inequalities facing men with prostate cancer. In January 2023, we revealed a huge divide in prostate cancer diagnosis across the UK, with many regions being left behind in a ‘postcode lottery’.

Scottish men are far more likely to be diagnosed too late for a cure compared to those in South East England. Black men also face an increased risk of prostate cancer, with 1 in 4 Black men in the UK getting the disease – compared with 1 in 8 white men.

The money pledged by Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation will support our research and campaigning to ensure that men are able to get a prompt diagnosis, no matter where they live in the UK.

We will also work with Black communities to find out what additional barriers Black men face in learning about prostate cancer and getting diagnosed, and how we can remove them.

As part of the partnership launch, Iceland Foods stores nationwide will stock a special edition of Astonish Protect & Care handwash featuring a QR code that links to our risk checker tool. Astonish have also agreed to donate 1p from every bottle sold as part of the campaign. Astonish Protect & Care limited handwash is available to buy here.

Tarsem Dhaliwal, CEO of Iceland Foods, said: “At some point in their lives 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer. That statistic is incredibly close to my heart as my father was one of them. There are huge inequalities in the barriers to diagnosis that must be addressed and tackled.”

“We have supported Prostate Cancer UK since 2008, and we know how critical their work is to saving, and improving, the lives of so many men. We look forward to continuing this support with our £500,000 pledge over the next four years.”

Laura Kerby, Chief Executive of Prostate Cancer UK, said: “We’re delighted to continue partnering with Iceland Foods to raise awareness of prostate cancer.

“We’d also like to thank Astonish for supporting and helping us reach households across the UK with our important and lifesaving health message. By scanning the QR code on the Father’s Day handwash bottles, men can check their risk of prostate cancer in less than 30 seconds. Our online risk checker helps men separate the fact from the fiction and gives them accurate health information so that our dads, brothers, sons and mates can make the right choices.

“Over 12,000 men die from prostate cancer each year in the UK, and it is the most common cancer in men. It poses a significant threat to men’s lives yet currently there is no routine screening programme – this needs to change. We’re grateful for our incredible partners, like Iceland, who continue to support our lifesaving work and help turn these ambitions into reality.”

Prostate cancer is treatable if caught early - and that’s why it’s crucial to check your risk and share the risk checker with the men you love.

It takes just 30 seconds and could save a life.

Check your risk