Tag: Pancreatic Cancer Action

Over £11,000 raised for Pancreatic Cancer Action in memory of Frank McGarvey

Glasgow locals and Celtic supporters came together on Friday 17thMarch 2023 to remember and celebrate the life of football legend Frank McGarvey, raising £11,050 for Pancreatic Cancer Action.

Frank’s close friend Bernie Vallely, who runs ‘Fitba Greats’, teamed up with Robert and Mary from Elders Bar in Tollcross to organise a special St Patrick’s Day gathering. They wanted to create a memorable evening that would honour Frank’s legacy whilst also supporting a worthy cause.

Tickets for the event sold out in record time, with family, friends, and fans of Frank all eager to show their support. Ninety guests attended the evening, which was hosted by Tommy Sheridan, another of Frank’s close friends. Former Celtic Football players Tosh McKinlay and Joe Miller were also in attendance, sharing football memories and stories.

Guests were provided with an opportunity to win a raffle prize of a framed Celtic Football Club shirt, signed by the squad and a very kind guest then offered a very generous donation for a second version to be sourced by ‘Fitba Greats’.

The auction was the main driver of achieving such a fantastic total, with exclusive prizes creating a bidding battle across the packed room!

Prizes included:

  1. Signed framed print of Frank McGarvey
  2. Framed Bertie Ault print
  3. Framed Danny McGrain signed shirt.
  4. Framed Lisbon Lions print signed by 8 Lions.
  5. Framed & signed Celtic double winners’ shirt – Ange’s first season.
  6. 1985 Cup Final Shirt signed by the scorer of the winning goal – Frank McGarvey
  7. Signed by the Boss Ange signed shirt.
  8. Framed & signed Jersey – Captain Callum McGregor

Franks’ son Sean also brought along an additional prize of a signed Celtic shirt kindly donated by Celtic CEO Michael Nicholson.

Fiona Brown, Scottish Development Manager for Pancreatic Cancer Action, said: “I was privileged to meet Frank and his family last year, and it has been heart-warming to see the incredible outpouring of support from across the football community.

“It was lovely to hear people share memories of Frank event, and a wonderful video played on the night showcasing some of Frank’s many footballing highlights certainly triggered a few tears!

“We are very grateful to everyone involved in making the event such a huge success, raising a phenomenal amount of money, and indeed helping raise awareness of pancreatic cancer.”

Bernie Vallely, who runs ‘Fitba Greats’, said: “This was a real team effort, and we are all hopeful that raising the funds we did will massively help Fiona and her team.

“I’m glad we could celebrate Franks’ 67th birthday in such a positive way. Everyone played their part, and a great night was had.”

Jennifer Kane (Frank McGarvey’s daughter) said: “I was so flat on St Patrick’s Day with it being my dad’s birthday and have been missing him so much, but I got such a lift from people’s generosity and stories.

“My dad was so lucky to have pals like Bernie, Robert and Tommy and everyone coming together to raise that much money for a charity now so close to my heart is unbelievable, I know my dad will want us to continue to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer, it was an amazing night my dad would have loved it. I can’t wait for next years!” 

For Celtic supporters, 67 represents a special number, and this fundraiser was a fitting way to remember and celebrate Frank McGarvey’s life. It’s heart-warming to see how the Glasgow community has come together to support this cause, and we hope that this event will help raise awareness and support for pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is the 5th most common cause of cancer death in the UK, with over 10,000 people diagnosed each year. Early diagnosis is crucial for improving survival rates, yet under 8% of those diagnosed will survive for five years or more.

Pancreatic Cancer Action is dedicated to raising awareness of the disease and funding research into early detection and treatment. To find out more about their work, visit their website at www.panact.org

62% of Scots know “almost nothing” about pancreatic cancer

74% can’t name one symptom

Shocking new statistics from national charity Pancreatic Cancer Action have revealed that 62% of people in Scotland know “almost nothing” about pancreatic cancer and 74% can’t name one symptom.

93% of people in Scotland also said that they are more likely to seek help for what they consider to be classic cancer symptoms, such as a lump. 908 people in Scotland had pancreatic cancer in 2019 with only 20% of people reaching the 1-year survival mark.

This World Pancreatic Cancer Day (Thursday 17th November 2022), the charity is urging people to share the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer with their family and friends to improve early diagnosis and save lives.

Pancreatic Cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in the UK with only 7% of people surviving beyond five years. It can be difficult to diagnose as many of the symptoms are put down to other, benign diseases by both patients and GPs 90% of people with pancreatic cancer receive a diagnosis too late for potentially curative treatment.

Symptoms include mid-back pain, changes in bowel habits, stomach pain, losing weight without trying, a recent diagnosis of diabetes without weight gain, nausea or jaundice. An individual could have all or none of these symptoms. 

The survey was completed by over 2000 people around the UK to gauge the public’s knowledge of pancreatic cancer as part of Pancreatic Awareness Month (1st-30th November). The survey revealed some interesting results, including that 19% believe that veganism can help to cure cancer.

Ali Stunt, Founder and CEO of Pancreatic Cancer Action, and pancreatic cancer survivor, said “These shocking statistics show that we still have an incredibly long way to go to raise awareness of this deadly disease. Most pancreatic cancer patients are diagnosed too late.

“In order to change outcomes for pancreatic cancer, we need to get people diagnosed sooner and improving public symptom awareness is one way to achieve this.”

Pancreatic Cancer Action is one of the UK’s leading charities that focus on early detection. They recently funded a ground-breaking new study alongside the University of Surrey and the University of Oxford that revealed that it may be possible to identify people with the disease up to three years earlier than current diagnoses.

Responding to reports that Scotland is the second worst country in Western Europe for pancreatic cancer survival rates, Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “These figures from Pancreatic Cancer UK are very concerning. Pancreatic cancer is the least survivable cancer in Scotland and the only way to survive it is to catch it early, yet this all too rarely happens.

“November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, and I was fortunate enough to speak to several people at an event in the Scottish Parliament this week, including Wendy who had lost her daughter to pancreatic cancer aged just 25, leaving a 3-year-old child without a mother.

“She was initially told that her symptoms were likely to be a virus before ultimately being diagnosed with cancer. It was incredibly sad to hear of her case and other lives cut short by late diagnosis of this terrible disease.

“I have lodged questions in the Scottish Parliament asking the Scottish Government how they will improve early diagnosis for pancreatic cancer. I hope that by building momentum for awareness, funding and research, we can improve the prognosis for the over 900 people who are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year in Scotland.

“I would like to thank Pancreatic Cancer UK for their work in bringing these figures to the Scottish Parliament’s attention and advocating for improved diagnosis and treatment of this disease.”

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