Five-a-side to help raise awareness

Josh Carrick was 23 when he died in October 2011, not long after graduating from university, he was diagnosed in 2010 and didn’t show any symptoms. After several rounds of chemotherapy, he was given the all clear, but months later it came back.

His friends and family set up The Josh Carrick Foundation to raise awareness of testicular cancer and money for Cancer Research UK, they have now raised around £500,000 through charity bike rides, auctions, pub quizzes and other activities.

Josh’s parents Steve and Arlene Carrick, of Fountains Road, said: “We set up the Josh Carrick Foundation following our son’s passing at the age of 23 in 2011.

“Our aims include raising awareness of testicular cancer and encouraging young men to get themselves checked regularly. We are currently funding new exciting research projects with The Royal Marsden Hospital and Cancer Research UK looking into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of testicular cancer, as well as providing funds for technological advances in cancer research. The charity is now in its fifth year and we’ve raised around £500,000 to date with the help of our wonderful supporters. Josh was raised in Luton and attended Icknield High School and Luton Sixth Form so it was important for us to hold our first charity football event here which involves some of his old school friends.”