Prostate Cancer UK to hold second ‘Lads Night In’ tabletop gaming fundraiser

British charity Prostate Cancer UK has announced its second ‘Lads Night In’ fundraising event.

First held last year, the event encourages groups of friends – of all sexes and 'laddiness' – to come together and play board and card games on the evening of Friday October 21st in order to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer research. Last year’s event raised £114,000 from more than 5,000 players.

The Prostate Cancer UK event site names poker as its game of choice – helped by co-organiser Pokerstars – but suggests a more conventional ‘games night’ (with the mainstream picks Monopoly and Battleships, plus video game Mario Kart, proposed – we personally think Pandemic’s disease-curing theme is a little more fitting for the occasion) as an alterative choice for those who prefer Fluxx to flushes.

Hosts can sign up and pay a fiver for a poker pack, which includes a pack of cards, dealer button, pin badge, leaflet and media sheet.

Those not fussed by nabbing the pack can instead text POKER to 70004 to donate £10, with the charity also suggesting a JustGiving page as a suitable way to donate.

“With one man dying of prostate cancer every hour in the UK we need to be reaching more men with life-saving messages, and encouraging more people to raise money to fund vital research," said director of fundraising James Beeby. "We’ve discovered the best way to do this is to go to where men are or tap into their passions, such as sport-, skill- and strategy-based games to inspire action for men’s health.

"Lads Night In, which will take place on October 21, 2016, and is aimed at encouraging thousands of men and women across the UK to gather together to play poker in their own homes for bravado, banter and beers all in the name of charity. Funds raised from the home games across the country will go towards ground-breaking research that could lead to earlier diagnosis and better treatments, as well as much-needed support services. The main thing though is to have some fun, catch up with friends and raise some money to help stop prostate cancer being a killer once and for all.”