I’ve always heard of Movember and knew it was the time of year for men to grow some impressive (or in some cases, questionable) facial hair to raise awareness and money for men’s health. However, having taken part in it this year, I’ve learnt that it’s so much more than that.
Movember is the leading charity that drives awareness of serious men’s health issues – including prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health and suicide prevention. Movember looks at mental health through the male lens, focusing on prevention, early intervention and health promotion. One of their goals is to reduce the rate of male suicides by 25% by 2030.
I was also aware that mental health problems were much more common in men, with suicide rates being much higher. It wasn’t until I looked into this in more detail that I realised just how alarming the situation actually is. Once I started to read more, it soon hit home just how much of a problem men’s health is – specifically mental health.
Three out of four suicides in the UK are by men and globally, on average, one man dies by suicide every minute of every day.
With the country going into a second lockdown for November, me and my flatmate, Ben, thought this was the perfect opportunity to use the time to do our bit and help raise money for this great cause. We grew our mo’s and set ourselves a goal of running 200km between us throughout the month (124 miles to be precise). 30 days later and with a few blisters, itchy top lips and our overplayed Spotify playlists, we managed to raise over £400 with the help of our amazing family and friends. We think it’s fair to say, it was a lockdown well spent!
We are delighted to have supported such a great cause and we encourage others to do the same. Although, these issues are all year round, and it doesn’t just have to be Movember to for us to take action. To find out more about Movember and the various ways you can get involved, check out their website here.