It's in your hands to do a wee bit for charity
No, Snifter is not taking the p a charity game that encourages males to project a ball along the length of their pub's urinal really is about to sweep the UK. From next month, all Six Continents' 1,500 outlets will introduce Peeball, a sporting product "poised to revolutionise male leisure time and herald a new era in charitable fundraising," according to driving spirit and organiser Matthew Sweetapple. And you're being invited to take part, too. What's going on, you ask? Well, the idea is to raise awareness of prostate cancer, which is the UK's fastest-growing cancer disease. It is the most common cancer affecting British men the average lifetime risk of developing prostate cancer is around 1 in 13. In fact, prostate cancer kills approximately 10,000 men in Britain every year (approximately 210 deaths per week). Breast cancer kills around 14,000 British women every year, yet in recent years, due to the success of high profile campaigns, it has received up to 40 times the funding levels of prostate cancer. So as Sweetapple says, when it comes to personal health, whether it's through embarrassment or lack of interest, men have singularly failed to make themselves heard. Until now, that is. But by playing Peeball, men will be forced to think about the issue and consider whether they should be checked out by their doctor. Frequent trips to the loo, or problems peeing are two possible signs something may be amiss. Peeball may play its part in alerting players to these symptoms. So what's a Peeball? It's a biodegradable compacted-powder ball that crumbles when it's peed on. Every man who has ever used a urinal is already familiar with the basic skills of the game, having played it with disinfectant cubes or discarded cigarette butts as targets. The genius of the sport of Peeball stems from this essential simplicity and the fact that all a player needs is a Peeball, a urinal and the need to wee. Firstly, the gentleman re-moves the Peeball from its protective wrapping and places it carefully in a urinal (single and trough urinals are both acceptable playing surfaces). He then takes aim and relieves himself on the Peeball and attempts to destroy it in the shortest possible time. Sounds simple? Most novice players utterly fail to destroy their ball in one stand. Says Sweetapple: "Compare with the world record of complete destruction in under five seconds and you begin to understand that Peeball is a remarkable game full of hidden subtlety and skill." The chemical make-up of Peeballs means that they slowly dissolve when exposed to liquid. So with this is mind, what tactic should you employ? Do you attempt to blast it to pieces with a concentrated full-on assault, roll it into the wetter playing surfaces, or control and even stop and start your flow to ensure greater break-up over a longer time period? There is no "correct" answer. Tactics are in the individual player's hands. Literally. John Neate, the Prostate Cancer Charity's chief executive explained: "As soon as we heard about Peeball, we knew that we wanted to be involved. "I can't think of a better way to raise funds and at the same time get over our serious health messages in a meaningful and engaging way." Peeballs retail for £1. Out of this, 30p goes directly to the Prostate Cancer Charity, 27p per ball is retained by the participating retailer as margin and, if desired, may be used to support its own chosen charities. Peeballs cost retailers 32.6p each plus VAT (this includes a full merchandising pack and involvement in all marketing activities). Peeball will be a backed by massive PR coverage on TV, radio and in newspapers and magazines. It's simple to get involved. For more information phone 01438 718 007 or e-mail info@peeball.com
