22 September 2016

As Warwickshire dismantled the Surrey batting line-up in the one-day cup final at Lord's last Saturday the team from Boundaries For Life were on hand to keep track of rising blood pressures as they offered free health checks to staff and spectators. 

Boundaries for Life, a health initiative founded to promote health awareness at sports events throughout the UK, carried out health checks on almost 50 people. The expert team were aiming to knock mouth cancer for six by performing a basic mouth examination looking for any warning signs and symptoms of the disease.

The volunteer team of doctors and dentists also offered staff and spectators blood pressure, body mass index and cholesterol checks, all key indicators relating to chronic diseases.

Boundaries For Life founder and Trustee of the Oral Health Foundation, Dr Chet Trivedy, believes that the checks were able to educate and inform more people than ever before on mouth cancer by going directly into the sporting arena.

Dr Trivedy said: "Mouth cancer is one of the few cancers which is continuing to see cases rise in the UK and cricket fans are the perfect demographic for us to target with our information and health checks.

"Although anybody can have mouth cancer, men over the age of 45 are the most common group to develop it so being here on the ground to not only give them a quick examination but also educate them on the signs, symptoms and causes is an excellent opportunity to catch it early.

"As well as England's own Liam Plunkett and Tamsin Beaumont (pictured right) stopping by for a chat we have also performed a full health check for the MCC Chief Executive, Derek Brewer (pictured below), alongside loads of the fantastic supporters who had come along to the home of cricket for the final.

"On top of mouth checks, the team are able to target people who might otherwise not access regular health checks and promote awareness of very common and preventable conditions."

Representatives from Warwickshire-based charity, the Oral Health Foundation, managed to stifle their excitement of what was going on the pitch for long enough to offer support for the Boundaries for Life initiative.

CEO of the Oral Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter OBE, hailed the important work carried out by Boundaries for Life: "It is important that we can reach as many people as possible with key information on mouth cancer. By holding this event at Lord's, and many like it across the country, Boundaries for Life are doing a great job in helping to reach one of the most at risk groups.

"As we approach Mouth Cancer Action Month in November I hope the team can help drive the initiative home so that we can help to stop the growth of mouth cancer."

Boundaries For Life health checks are delivered in association with Healthy Stadia CIC. For more informative about Boundaries For Life please visit www.boundariesforlife.co.uk.

Further information and advice on mouth cancer, as well as about November's Mouth Cancer Action Month charity campaign, visit www.mouthcancer.org.