Walking football team lend support for men’s health screening service

News from our partners Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin

Members of the Shrewsbury Walking Football Club, for players over the age of 55, have been raising awareness of the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening programme offered by Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH).

The team leading the AAA screening programme, based at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, is offering free screening for men aged over 65 who are at most risk of AAAs – a swelling in the aorta which can be fatal if not detected early.

SaTH and Shrewsbury Walking Football Club

The club, which operates in partnership with Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin, attracts an average of 34 players every week, meeting at Monkmoor Recreation Ground in Shrewsbury. Members of the walking football team were urged to go along to a screening session by one player who took part in the programme, resulting in 15 men putting their names forward.

Shrewsbury Walking Football Club

Kevin Moore, Director of Operations at Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin, said:

“The walking footballers are a great support network for each other. It is often difficult to engage with men about health-related issues so we were delighted to hear that so many of the players had gone along to the AAA screening offered free of charge by SaTH.”

Jess Smith, AAA Programme Coordinator at SaTH, said:

“Over 200 older men in Shropshire have been diagnosed with AAA over the past 4 years so it is really important to make men aware of the screening programme. Working in partnership with the Shrewsbury Walking Football Club and local charities such as Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin enables us to reach those people who are most at risk.”

The AAA screening takes place within local GP practices at both the Royal Shrewsbury and Princess Royal Hospitals, as well as other locations. It is made possible thanks to the League of Friends of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital who kindly donated the equipment.

For further details about the AAA screening programme please contact The AAA Screening Team on 01743 261048 or email: stwaaascreening@sath.nhs.uk 

Anyone interested in joining the football club can get further information from Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin on 01743 233123.

Further information

About Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin

Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin is a local charity which has been working tirelessly for over 67 years to make life better for older people across the whole of Shropshire.

Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin offers a range of services for older people in the county. These include: Information and Advice, Day Centres, dementia support, the Help at Home Service, volunteer befriending visitors, Home from Hospital services, Lunch Clubs, Living Well activities, Benefits Advice, and Advocacy on behalf of older people.

Last year over 100,000 volunteer hours were given to support older people, ranging from helping people to fill in benefits forms, supporting people in our 40 Day Centres, visiting isolated older people at home, to acting as receptionists in our Shrewsbury office.

As part of our ‘No one should have No one’ campaign, we are raising money and recruiting volunteers to increase services such as befriending and social activities that reduce isolation and loneliness among  older people in Shropshire.

Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin is based in Shrewsbury and in Telford.  The Shrewsbury office is open from 10.00am – 4.00pm Monday to Friday, 01743 233123.  Our office at Meeting Point House in Telford is open every morning, 01952 216018.  Further information about our local services is available on our website www.ageukshropshireandtelford.org.uk

About Shropshire and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SATH) AAA Screening Programme 

The team travel to 69 GP Practices in and around Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin to scan participants.

AAA Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin invite around 3500 men every year for a scan.

Gentlemen who are 65 and over and have not yet been screened can call the team on 01743 261 048 to self refer and get an appointment. 

• AAA= Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms
• The aorta is the main blood vessel in the body.
• An aneurysm is the weakening and widening of the blood vessel walls.
• There are no associated symptoms.
• Men aged 65+ are most at risk.
• A simple scan could save your life.
• NHS screening invitations will be sent to men aged 65 this year.
• Those over 65 can request a scan
• 1 in 70 men who are screened have an abdominal aortic aneurysm.