Rok plc, the building and maintenance services group, showed it’s on the ball when it comes to battling prostate cancer by raising £40,000 through a nationwide charity football tournament.

Teams from Rok offices and their suppliers across the UK spent months battling it out to win the five-a-side Rok Real Man Cup in aid of The Prostate Cancer Charity.

On Saturday, Reading Rangers, made up of players from the firm’s Reading office, met a team from Glasgow sub-contractor Hoist and Access in the final held in Heathrow.

Following a well matched contest, a nail-biting penalty shoot was needed to decide the winner, with glory finally going to the Scottish side 3-1.

The finals were watched by Rok employees from across the country including Chief Executive Garvis Snook, who will now be handing over £40,000 to The Prostate Cancer Charity. Former Leicester City and Crystal Palace player Mark Bright was also on the touch lines to cheer on the players.

Mr Snook, an ambassador of The Prostate Cancer Charity, said: “As a business with a high percentage of male employees, it was an obvious choice for us to support The Prostate Cancer Charity and the vital work it does in highlighting and fighting the disease.

“At Rok, we believe in investing in the welfare of our people and the Real Man Cup has been an excellent way of promoting the issue of prostate cancer among our male workforce while also getting fit and having lots of fun.

“While we haven’t found the next Wayne Rooney, I am immensely proud of the amount the Cup has raised, and would like to thank all the teams and their families, and all our sponsors, who have supported the event.”

A raffle was also held as part of the Cup to boost the amount raised. Prizes included a game of golf for four at The Belfry.

Prostate cancer is responsible for the deaths of 10,000 men in the UK each year.

Most men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer are over the age of 50 and men are more likely to get the disease if their father, brother or a close male relative has been diagnosed. The risk is also higher in African or African Caribbean men.

Early diagnosis can improve a man’s chances of finding a successful treatment, yet 90 per cent of adults in the UK do not know what the prostate gland does or where it is in the body.

Email: rok@redleafpr.com