Shropshire volunteers feature on NHS Health Check posters

Five daring volunteers from Shropshire have bared all for a new health campaign to encourage people to check for signs of serious diseases.

Collette Davies, 44, of Shrewsbury; Zoe Day, 50, of Ellesmere; Mark Davies, 53, of Shrewsbury; Cathy Warner, 66, of Bridgnorth; and Andy Skinner, 50, of Highley, stripped off to promote the new NHS Health Check initiative.

Images of the five volunteers in the buff are to feature on advertising boards, buses and in pubs for the initiative, which is aimed at people aged between 40 and 74 years old.

The campaign aims to prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease by encouraging people in this age range to take up the offer a free health check when they are invited by their GP through the post.

Mr Davies said he had personal reasons to strip off and take part in the campaign.

"My father died of a massive heart attack when he was 49 years old. I was just 11," he said.

"My mother died of cancer and my brother has Type 2 diabetes. I thought to myself 'you've got to be aware, you've got to get checked at an early stage'. Your health is your wealth, that's my opinion. I think this campaign is fantastic."

And Mr Skinner said concerns about his own health had prompted in to join in with the initiative.

"I lost a lot of weight in the summer. Like most blokes, I just ignored it. I didn't go to my doctor. Eventually I got more and more anxious about what it might be. Some friends came round and asked what was up? It was then I realised I needed to see my doctor," he said.

"Through that visit I had some blood tests and scans. Everything is okay, just a few bits and pieces, but during that process one of the nurses said to me 'just put your experience on a blog for other guys like you to see, instead of going through all the agony and worry. Stop building everything up in your mind. If there is something it needs sorting out early'.

"So that's what I did, not realising that taking part in this campaign would be the outcome," he added.