All around the globe men will be donning a moustache to show their support and raise money for the issues affecting men. Mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer are the biggest risks to men’s health.
Movember started in 2016 to try and tackle these issues, by providing support services and raising money to fund more research, as well as raise more awareness surrounding the struggles men have to face daily.
Joe Shipp is one of the volunteers sporting a moustache and showing his support for men’s mental health this month.
“I do it every year. I think it’s good for mental health awareness and it raises an important message. It’s a good opportunity to touch upon men’s mental health which isn’t talked about really so having one dedicated month in the year is good.”
In Leeds, the ratio of men who take their own life is 5:1. Andy’s Mans Club is the UK’s leading men’s talking group based in Yorkshire. It was set up in 2016 after a man called Andy took his own life at 23, after showing no signs of struggling. The group is volunteer led, with many starting out as an attendee at the club.
Volunteer Lucas Whitehead, said that while Movember is a great way to raise awareness, men’s mental health is an issue that they tackle everyday.
“It sounds like a really cheesy thing to say, but for us, International Men’s Day or mental health awareness month, for us, that’s every day. That’s what we live and breathe. They’re a good thing but it’s a shame that they are needed.”
He added: “I think that every man, regardless of who he is and regardless of whether or not he says that he has done, has gone through some sort of turbulent period in the life and experienced some sort of struggle.”
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