At Booth Welsh, creating a workplace where people feel supported to have important conversations about their health and wellbeing is a key part of our culture. As an employee-owned business, our people are at the heart of everything we do, and we are always looking for ways to support their wellbeing while making a positive impact beyond our own workplace.
With around 60% of our workforce having a prostate, we recognised the importance of raising awareness around prostate cancer. It is the most common cancer among men in Scotland, with around one in 10 men diagnosed during their lifetime. Early detection can make a significant difference, yet around 35% of prostate cancers in Scotland are diagnosed at Stage 4.
Last year, we welcomed Prostate Scotland to Booth Welsh to deliver awareness sessions to our employees, helping people understand prostate cancer and the importance of early detection. Creating awareness and encouraging open conversations was an important first step in helping people feel more informed and empowered to take action around their health.
We were then delighted to take this one step further by working with the Scottish Prostate Cancer Initiative to bring free PSA testing directly to our Head Office.
The event not only gave our colleagues the opportunity to access testing but also opened our doors to the wider community. Around 300 men attended Booth Welsh for free PSA testing, helping to make potentially life-saving testing more accessible within North Ayrshire.
The Scottish Prostate Cancer Initiative was launched earlier this year by Olympian Sir Chris Hoy, former Scotland rugby international Kenny Logan and leading Scottish business figures, including Sir Tom Hunter. The initiative aims to improve the early detection of prostate cancer while supporting research that could help shape the future of prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment across Scotland.
By hosting the event, we were able to support a wider national initiative while using our workplace to make a meaningful difference within the local community. As an employee-owned business, this reflects our commitment to creating value beyond Booth Welsh and using our role in the community to make a positive social impact.
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Amy Nelson, Culture and Engagement Lead at Booth Welsh, said:
“Employee wellbeing is very important at Booth Welsh, and we want to create a culture where people feel comfortable having conversations about their health.
Last year, we began raising awareness of prostate cancer through sessions with Prostate Scotland, and bringing free PSA testing to Booth Welsh felt like an important next step. We were delighted to be able to open the event up to the wider community and give more people the opportunity to access testing.
This is a great example of how our C.A.R.E.S. values can come to life, allowing us to support the wellbeing of our people while using our role as a business to create a wider social impact.”
Conor Evans, Director at the Scottish Prostate Cancer Initiative, said:
“The Scottish Prostate Cancer Initiative was established with an ambitious goal: to provide free PSA tests to 25,000 men across Scotland whilst helping to explore new ways to detect prostate cancer earlier and gather vital data that could shape future screening and treatment protocols.
We are very grateful to Booth Welsh for hosting the event on 24 August and supporting our efforts to bring testing directly into workplaces and communities. We would also like to thank everyone who attended and took part in the session. By taking a few moments to be tested, participants are not only taking responsibility for their own health but are also contributing to an initiative that could help transform prostate cancer detection and care for future generations.”
For more information about prostate cancer and the Scottish Prostate Cancer Initiative, including future testing opportunities, visit the Scottish Prostate Cancer Initiative