OCTO ‘beard’ fest, the successful beard-growing appeal launched by the Prostate Project in 2013 to raise vital funds for research to find prostate cancer faster, is joining forces with ‘foot golf’ centres across the South East to promote this year’s appeal.

Having set out with modest expectations to raise just £10,000 for the University of Surrey’s diagnostic research, OctoBeardFest raised £64,000 in its first year in 2013 and another record-breaking £82,000 in 2014.

This year, founder Tim Sharp again hopes to surpass all expectations by appealing for bewhiskered gents to grow their beards for charity “and help save men’s lives”, as well as try out one of the UK’s fastest growing sport - foot golf.

Every foot golf centre in Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire has signed up to the appeal, agreeing to donate 25 per cent of registered OctoBeardFest players’ green fees to the appeal for games played mid-week Monday to Friday.

The Prostate Project is targeting pubs, clubs and businesses within a 15-minute drive of each participating centre and encouraging people to give up an hour to play nine holes in recognition of the fact one man dies of prostate cancer every hour in the UK.

Nine holes of foot golf takes around 40 minutes and costs on average, about £9. For a list of the participating courses, visit www.octo beardfest.co.uk

Tim, a trustee of the Prostate Project, said: “The aim is to get as many foot golf centres as we can supporting us. We have been amazed at how popular this idea is.

“The centres see this as a win, win situation. They get more midweek business when the courses are quieter at the same time as supporting a very worthy charity."

Each year in the UK more than 40,000 men are told they have prostate cancer and 11,000 will die of the disease. The Prostate Project believes early detection could save most of these 11,000 lives.

Money raised so far by OctoBeardFest has been used to support a world-class cancer research team at Guildford’s University of Surrey under the leadership of Professor Hardev Pandha.

Their discovery of a protein called EN2 in urine that can detect prostate cancer 50 per cent more accurately than the 30-year old PSA test will undergo final trials this month.

Results are expected by autumn 2016 which will hopefully lead to rapid and widespread use in GP’s surgeries. The simple urine test is similar to a pregnancy test. It will be less expensive than the PSA test and give much faster, more accurate results.

Professor Pandha said: “This is just the beginning.

“We are discovering that urine is a treasure trove of information relating to prostate cancer.

“This year’s Octobeardfest appeal money will be used to research exosomes, tiny particles that are constantly shed by cancer cells into urine. Their make up can reveal how aggressive the cancer is and the type of treatment needed.

“Previously it has taken up to nine hours to extract exosomes from urine. Now, a new scientific kit can do the job in minutes, opening up exciting potential for faster, more accurate research.”

As well as growing a beard or playing a round of foot golf, there are many other ways to support the appeal - from a sponsored pub quiz, pedal, run, climb, swim or performance. More information is available online at www.octobeardfest.co.uk or prostate-project.org.uk.