Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Barnsley, with many cases diagnosed at later stages – often requiring more aggressive treatment and leading to poorer outcomes. In partnership with Prostate Cancer UK and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, we developed a local campaign to encourage men to understand their risk and seek support earlier.
Research showed that Barnsley has a strong culture of stoicism, often reflected in the attitude of “it’ll be all right.” While this resilience is part of local identity, it can also lead to men delaying action – ignoring symptoms or avoiding checks altogether.
The opportunity was to create a campaign that didn’t challenge this mindset from the outside, but instead spoke from within it – using familiar language, tone, and cultural cues to build trust. The goal was to shift behaviour by making early action feel normal, relevant, and accessible.
We developed a campaign rooted in local voice and authenticity. By adapting well-known regional phrases like “it’ll be reyt” into emotive, attention-grabbing headlines, the messaging immediately felt familiar – and more importantly, harder to ignore.
The tone balances strength with approachability, delivering a clear message: don’t wait. Whether symptoms are present or not, men are encouraged to take action and get checked.
To reinforce this, we brought in real stories from local prostate cancer survivors. Their honest, first-hand experiences add credibility and emotional weight – offering relatable advice that resonates far more deeply than statistics alone.
At the centre of the campaign is a simple call to action: use an online risk checker. Developed specifically for Barnsley by Prostate Cancer UK, the tool allows men to quickly assess their risk and take the next step with confidence.
Together, the campaign creates a direct, culturally relevant intervention – one that meets people where they are, and encourages earlier action that could ultimately save lives.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among males in Barnsley. It’s also regularly being diagnosed at stages 3 and 4, requiring more aggressive treatment, and in some cases, resulting in poorer health outcomes.
In partnership with Prostate Cancer UK and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, we launched a local campaign to encourage and empower men to understand their prostate cancer risk, and seek support sooner if they’re at a higher risk.
Data shows that Barnsley has a stoic population with an ‘it will be all right’ mantra. This means our target audience may be more likely to wait out symptoms and hold off seeking the support they need.
We tackled this head on, making the campaign feel at home in Barnsley. It speaks like a local – turning widely known phrases like ‘it’ll be reyt’ – into emotive headlines to really engage the target audience.
Powerful yet friendly messaging highlights how men shouldn’t ignore a prostate cancer check, symptoms or no symptoms – it encourages men to simply get checked.
We strengthened the campaign with real local survivor stories – capturing their first-hand experience with prostate cancer, and their honest advice to other men.
The campaign aims to guide men to an online risk checker, where you can answer a few simple questions and find how at risk you are, instantly. A Barnsley-specific checker was created by Prostate Cancer UK to more accurately track data in the region.
Special thanks to Anthony and David, the Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council Public Health Team, and Prostate Cancer UK.