“LAST year we potentially saved at least one life, possibly more – so we just had to do it again this year.”

That was the message from Freemason Adrian Robson, who is organising prostate cancer screening days for men in Somerset.

It comes after last year’s events saw around 150 men tested at centres in Taunton and Keynsham – including Kevin Chard.

After having a test Kevin, who was in his mid 50s, discovered he had prostate cancer.

The Radstock native attended a screening organised by Somerset Freemasonry, and his blood test and further scans revealed he did have prostate cancer, but it was caught early. He’s since had an operation.

He said: “Like a lot of men I don’t like going to see a doctor, so when I heard about the tests being offered by the Freemasons I decided to go along.

“My PSA blood test came back 48 hours later and showed that my PSA level was three times higher than normal.

“Various scans and biopsies later showed that that cancer was present but thankfully it has been caught early and the prognosis is that I should make a full recovery.”

READ MORE: Health & Wellbeing news from your Somerset Leveller

Kevin is now urging other men to get tested at screening days at the Yeovil Masonic Hall on October 4 and at Nailsea Masonic Hall on November 10, with both running from 10am to 1pm.

The tests, which are available to the general pubic, are being organised in conjunction with the Graham Fulford Charitable Trust, which organises private screening tests for prostate cancer – in the absence of a national testing programme on the NHS.

Freemason Adrian, who is organising the Somerset screening days, added: “Prostate cancer is the biggest killer of men. More than 13,000 men die from it each year in the UK but if it is caught early it is very treatable. That is why screening like this is so important.”

The cost for the test is £26, with people urged to register in advance through https://www.somersetfreemasons.org/2025/04/03/somerset-freemasonry-psa-screening-2025.