A Bedale-based company is leading the way in free workplace health checks, helping to stop many preventable diseases. The scheme has been spearheaded by HECK! Food Co-founder, 34-year-old Jamie Keeble, who had testicular cancer when he was 24.
As well as targeting heart disease, the tests aim to prevent diabetes and kidney disease, as well as common cancers such as testicular, prostate, breast and ovarian.
Last week, the whole HECK! team (almost 100 people) were invited to take part, where they were asked to answer a short lifestyle questionnaire, then have their height, weight, and waist measured, undergo a blood pressure test and have a simple blood test to measure cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The checks also recorded key information including smoking status, family history of coronary heart disease and cholesterol level.
“We were really delighted how the health checks were taken up” comments Jamie Keeble, who in particular has been spearheading a campaign for men to CHECK! after his own personal experience of having testicular cancer. “We have now rolled it out across the company and are having regular visits by the screening company. Health checks can save lives. They can help prevent people from developing largely preventable diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, Type 2 diabetes and liver disease.”
One of the individuals who came to the screening was 59-year-old Robert Rough, who is HECK’s occupational health lead. “I myself have already made an appointment with my GP to follow up on some of the recommendations from the screening. The two days were really successful and all the slots were booked up. We’ll be making the screening programme a regular thing each year.”
The rollout of HECK’s health check programme follows its campaign last month which saw the company change the name of its popular chicken sausages to CHECK! throughout November’s men’s health awareness month. Proceeds from pack sales raised £20,000 for Cahonas, a charity dedicated to educating people about testicular cancer and awareness.
“We are incredibly grateful to HECK for their unwavering support of Cahonas and for championing the importance of early cancer detection by changing their name to ‘CHECK’ throughout November. This bold nationwide campaign has not only raised awareness of testicular cancer but also emphasised the critical need for self-checking for other cancer types.
“Through this initiative, we’ve had customers reach out with concerns who were then signposted to their GPs, underscoring just how impactful such campaigns can be. Thanks to HECK’s generous donation, we can continue our life-saving education and awareness programs while also supporting those undergoing treatment for testicular cancer. Together, we are making a difference and empowering individuals to take charge of their health.”
For more information on the HECK and Cahonas fundraising campaign visit www.heckfood.co.uk.
