Hello! I’m Harry, the Onboarding placement at ProspectSoft and today I am going to talk to you a little bit about Movember. Movember is a charity looking to combat and raise awareness for men’s mental health, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer. This is primarily done during an annual event in November where men will grow moustaches with the aim to spark conversations about men’s mental health, encouraging men to take steps in addressing their well-being. During the month lots of people will partake in a physical activity as well, for example last year, I ran 60 km for the charity. 

This is the third year I have participated in Movember along with my university rugby team. In addition to team members receiving donations, we also run a Movember quiz. Last year as a club we were able to raise just shy of £4,300 and the charity as a whole raised £16.4 Million in the UK alone. The money raised helps men live happier, healthier, and longer lives. These contributions support research, education, and practical assistance, making a tangible impact in the fight against prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health challenges.

Having grown up with family and friends suffering from mental health problems I have developed a profound appreciation for the importance of mental health awareness. Every year 700,000 men take their own life, that is 58,333 a month, 14,853 a week, 2121 a day, 88 an hour and almost 2 a minute. Movember has helped build strong social connections that can reduce the risk of suicide. The charity encourages people to speak to people if they are struggling and one way they do this is by pushing their slogan, ‘It is ok not to be ok’.

Here are 7 Reasons why you should take part in Movember:

• Help people who are struggling: Movember gives you the opportunity to raise money to help people who are struggling and change people’s lives. The proceeds you raise will go towards research and extending the lives of men everywhere.
• Raise awareness for mental health, testicular cancer, and prostate cancer: It reminds you to check in with friends and see how they are doing, whilst also providing time for self-reflection to check in with yourself and see how you are doing.
• Encourage people to speak out: Movember encourages people to have open conversations about their mental health, removing the stigma that people should ‘man up’ and creating an environment where people are comfortable to talk openly about their emotions.
• Educate people about the importance of mental health awareness: Movember provides people with a platform to educate people about mental health, participating allows you to spread information to the wider community regarding mental health.
• Allow people time to self-reflect: During the month, people have the opportunity to reflect on their own well-being and reflect on how they impact others’ lives around them.
• Create lasting change that has the power to change people’s lives: Through simply speaking to friends and allowing them to open up you can improve people’s quality of living; on top of this by having these conversations it takes away the stigma society has towards mental health.

• The fundraising funds research and programmes: Over the past 20 years Movember has raised £873.9 million and of this money 80% is allocated to men’s health projects which in turn can change people’s lives.

Growing a moustache isn’t the only way to support Movember. Like I mentioned earlier, I ran 60k for the cause. Running or walking 60k over the course of the month is not only a brilliant way to help the charity, but it also gets you moving at the same time which is incredibly beneficial for mental health. 60 is a significant number as it’s the same number of men that we lose to suicide hourly across the globe.

If you’re not much of an athlete, there’s still so many ways to get involved. Hosting a ‘Mo-ment’ is another great way to show your support and have a great time with friends and family in the process. Getting people together will raise awareness and start a supportive conversation. Not to mention you get to hang out with the people you love most, there’s nothing to lose!

One of my favourite things about Movember is that you can do absolutely anything to raise money and the charity is always on board with anything that can help. So if none of my ideas seemed like your cup of tea, you can Mo your own way for men’s mental health! 

What to do if you’re struggling:

If you feel like you’re struggling with your mental health, you’re not alone. Contact any of the support services on Movember’s website here. There is a lot of support out there so don’t keep your feelings bottled up!