Let's Talk: Movember

What is Movember?

Movember is a global movement that started in Australia back in 2003, when a group of friends decided to grow moustaches and noticed how much attention they got. So they decided to add a message alongside to raise awareness of men’s health. What began as a fun idea has grown into one of the largest men’s health charities in the world.

Every November, people take part by either growing a moustache, moving for mental health or fundraising. All to start conversations and raise money for causes that affect men most. Movember focuses on key areas around mental health, suicide prevention and prostate cancer.

The aim isn’t just to raise funds, but to get men talking, to challenge the old idea that men should stay silent about how they feel or “tough it out.”

Through research funding, community projects and awareness campaigns, Movember helps men access support earlier and encourages open, honest conversations about both physical and mental wellbeing.

Why is it important?

Men’s mental health is something that’s often overlooked or not talked about enough, which is why Movember is so important. In the UK, one in eight men experience a mental health problem such as anxiety or depression each year, yet many never reach out for help.

Suicide remains the leading cause of death for men under 50, and around three-quarters of all suicides are by men. Every 60 seconds one man is lost to suicide. Too many men still feel they have to face things alone.

Movember helps to change that narrative by funding research, creating support networks, and starting conversations that encourage men to open up.

Since starting university, I joined the men’s football club. It’s been one of the best parts of my time here. I’ve loved every bit of it; playing football each week with my mates and the social events after matches.

In my second year, I realised that as a club we weren’t really doing much around charity work, so I decided to go for the Charity Secretary role and over the year, I organised five different events, and together we raised over £5,000 as a club.

The simple idea of growing a moustache to raise money and awareness for men’s mental health is brilliant and as a club, we had a massive buy-in. I felt a real buzz around campus, seeing moustaches everywhere and checking the leaderboards to see where people ranked. It got people talking about men’s health in a way that was fun.

Off the back of that campaign, I was approached to apply for the Surrey Movember Ambassador role. I jumped at the opportunity. While I was on placement, I ran the Movember campaign for the University of Surrey in my spare time. Balancing it with my placement was tough at times, it kept me connected to the University community and gave me a real sense of purpose. By the end of the campaign, we’d raised over £16,000 as a university, which I believe is a record for Surrey. Throughout the whole month, it wasn't just the money that we raised but the conversations and awareness that was amazing to see.

I think Movember stood out to me because I could relate to it more than other causes. For many years, I have struggled with my own mental health, but rarely shared how I was feeling. I would just push things down and try to get on with it.

Being part of Movember showed me the importance of breaking that silence and speaking up, not just for myself but for others too. It reminded me that opening up about mental health isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength, and it’s something that can make a real difference in people’s lives.