18 September 2026
Local support group leader Kerry White (pictured left) is urging men across New South Wales to prioritise their health this Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, after turning his own prostate cancer diagnosis into more than a decade of support for others.
Kerry was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009 after his GP included a PSA blood test as part of his regular health check.
The experience prompted him and a friend to establish a local prostate cancer support group the following year, with Kerry taking over leadership of the group around 2011.
“I’ve been very passionate about it ever since,” Kerry says.
For Kerry, supporting men in regional communities is about much more than holding meetings.
With no urologist based in Inverell, men may need to travel to centres such as Tamworth, Toowoomba or Sydney for appointments, tests and treatment, sometimes making repeated trips over many months.
The support group uses donations from local sporting clubs, service clubs, community groups and members of the public to help men meet some of those travel costs.
“There’s quite a cost involved in travel when you live in the country,” Kerry says.
“We help first and foremost with other men’s travel costs. The community has been incredibly supportive of us.”
That support has come through golf days, sporting clubs and local organisations, with the group also donating specialist equipment, including beds to help men with advanced prostate cancer remain more comfortable.
A recent charity golf day organised by a local AFL club raised $5,000 for the group.
Kerry also spends much of his time providing one-on-one support to men and their partners, distributing prostate cancer information throughout the community and speaking at local organisations and events.
During Prostate Cancer Awareness Month this September, Kerry joined fellow bowlers wearing prostate cancer awareness shirts at a President’s Day event in Warialda, helping start conversations about the disease.
He has also taken resources to community golf days, spoken with local groups and recently prepared information for a new group of Aboriginal men in the region.
“I just love to promote it and get men out there having their tests done,” Kerry says.
“I speak to so many men who are still shy about talking about these things. Health is so important. We need to keep talking about it.”
His central message is simple: men should stay on top of their health and understand their prostate cancer risk.
“I encourage men not only to get a PSA test when it’s appropriate for them, but to get their general health check done every year,” Kerry says.
“That’s how my prostate cancer was found. My GP was doing my normal yearly check and said, ‘We’ll get a PSA test done.’
“I really push that message whenever I get the opportunity.”
Kerry says the close-knit nature of Inverell means men will often be referred to him by friends or family after a diagnosis.
Sometimes they reach out immediately. Others take months before they feel ready.
“I don’t want to jump into people’s personal space,” he says.
“But if they want to contact me, I’m straight in there.”
Kerry is also concerned about the future of specialist prostate cancer nursing care, describing recent changes to Commonwealth funding arrangements as disappointing.
For him, the issue reinforces why local support, specialist care and accessible information remain particularly important for men living outside major cities.
After more than 15 years of advocacy, community fundraising and conversations with local men, Kerry has no intention of slowing down.
“It’s just what I do,” he says.
“I want to get men talking about their health and getting checked.”
