Around 125,300 men have used Prostate Cancer UK's 30-second online risk checker since the start of the tournament.
Marking the biggest charity partnership in the history of the sport, Flutter’s Paddy Power will donate £1m to Prostate Cancer UK following its Big 180 campaign, in partnership with the PDC, for the World Darts Championship.
Ahead of the championship, the bookie pledged to donate £1,000 for every 180 scored at Ally Pally to Prostate Cancer UK. A record 914 were hit, taking the overall donation amount to £914,000. However, Paddy Power announced it would top up the pot with another £86,000 to bring the total to £1m.
Moreover, the new Ballon d'Art trophy, awarded to the player who hit the most 180s and thus raised the most amount of cash for Prostate Cancer UK, went to the tournament’s winner, Luke Humphries after an electric final.
The Big 180 campaign sought to drive men towards Prostate Cancer UK’s 30-second online risk checker tool and raise awareness of the fact that 1 in 8 men are diagnosed with the disease which is curable if caught early. More than 125,300 men have checked their risk during the tournament – five times more than the same period last year – with 71% discovering they were at ‘high-risk’ of developing the disease.
Rishi Sunak, British Prime Minister, said: “This year’s World Darts Championship transfixed the nation but the epic finale between the two Lukes wasn’t the only positive result to have emerged from the Ally Pally. Paddy Power’s Big 180 campaign has now chalked up an impressive £1m for Prostate Cancer UK and has helped to save lives by raising awareness of the need to get checked out.
“I am proud to support the campaign which will help researchers develop better treatments and tests to detect the UK’s most common male cancer earlier. It will build on the significant £16m investment the government has announced in November to support Prostate Cancer UK’s £42m ‘Transform’ trial, which aims to save thousands of men each year by finding the best way to screen for Prostate Cancer.”
Laura Kerby, Chief Executive at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “With £1m raised and incredible and extensive awareness too, we’re thrilled at the success of the Big 180 campaign and are hugely grateful to Paddy Power, the PDC and the players for their brilliant efforts bringing it to life. 1 in 8 men will be affected by this disease, and that’s one statistic that brings home why this campaign was so important.”
Rachael Kane, spokesperson for Paddy Power, said: “We knew we had hit the bullseye in our sponsorship of this year’s first ever Paddy Power World Darts Championship. The stars aligned to make it the biggest and most exciting yet. But knowing that our Big 180 campaign has had this level of impact puts it all into context.”
Paddy Power’s drive to raise awareness of Prostate Cancer UK’s online risk checker and its £1m donation to the charity forms part of its contribution to the Do More pillar of Flutter’s global sustainability strategy, the Positive Impact Plan. With every brand across Flutter’s worldwide portfolio working towards its goals, the Do More pillar aims to give back to Flutter’s communities and improve 10 million lives by 2030.
To help men check their risk in 30 seconds, Prostate Cancer UK have an online risk checker available at prostatecanceruk.org/180-risk, while those with concerns can:
- Contact Prostate Cancer UK's Specialist Nurses in confidence on 0800 074 8383, or via email, webchat or WhatsApp at org/nurses
- Access online and printed health information at org/information
- Speak to volunteers with experience of prostate cancer at org/one-to-one
For more information, please contact corporatemedia@flutter.com.
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