FUNDRAISERS are urged to sign up to an event to fund life-saving equipment to make a difference to men’s health in Dorset.

Registration for March for Men is now open and organisers are calling on all sons, fathers, brothers, uncles and grandfathers to sign up to run, jog, walk or skip a choice of 1k, 5k or 10k routes along Bournemouth seafront.

The Royal Bournemouth Hospital event, now in its fourth year, is open to people of all ages and abilities and will take place on Sunday, March 19.

Every year more than 150,000 men are treated at the hospital for a range of conditions, many of which being urological or cancer patients facing conditions such as prostate, bladder or testicular cancers.

Surgical Directorate Consultant at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital James Manners said he hopes this year’s March for Men will enable the hospital to get new state-of-the-art equipment to help staff and consultants tackle the challenges faced when treating male patients.

He said: “We would like to introduce a new service for our bladder cancer patients known as ‘blue light cystoscopy’, which will make it clearer for our consultants to identify cancer cells in patients and confirm their removal after operations.

“We also want to make use of new ‘TURIS’ equipment to help improve urinary symptoms in men with prostate growths. This should help make treatments safer, provide new treatment opportunities for patients with very large prostate growths and even help reduce hospital stay periods in many cases.”

Last year 200 people took part in the event raising thousands of pounds for a new piece of imaging equipment to benefit men with prostate cancer at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

Entry costs £15 for over 16s, £8 for children aged five to 15 and is free for under fives.

To register go to BHCharity.org/M4M or call the charity office on 01202 704060.