As it’s now the middle of November, I’m sure you’ve seen guys around town rocking some new moustaches- but it’s more than facial hair. Moustaches mean Movember. Movember is a global movement raising awareness for men’s mental health, suicide, testicular cancer, and prostate cancer. As women, sisters, daughters, friends, and girlfriends, our support for Movember is crucial; healthy men make a healthy world.
The University of St Andrews raised over £40,000 last November in aid of Men’s mental health, becoming the UK’s highest fundraising university per capita. This was an incredible achievement for our university, smashing their goal of £40,000! This year, our Movember team, comprised of sports clubs, societies, and academic groups, are ramping up the stakes and aiming to raise £50,000 to support men’s health—an incredible goal that would provide support and research for the cause. To get involved and help us achieve this groundbreaking goal, you can donate to the University Movember page or by simply following the USTA Movember Instagram!
In aid of Movember, Her Campus St Andrews has pledged to walk a mile a day. We are ‘committed to challenging norms that hurt anyone on the gender spectrum’ and aim to raise money to create a happy and healthy campus for everyone. Through fundraising, we hope to assist St Andrews Movember in raising £50,000 and improving men’s health and mental health.
To help tackle men’s mental health stigmas and issues, I will be doing a sponsored silence to symbolise the difficulties men feel in speaking up about their mental health when they need it most. The goal of my challenge is to highlight the stigmas around mental health that men face daily and the necessity of providing space for men to speak about these issues.
Whatever your plans this Movember, admire the moustaches with a sense of purpose, knowing we’re contributing to something important. Spread as much awareness and raise as much money as possible; get involved, ready… steady… Mo!