A charity that really means a lot to me is the Movember Foundation. The Movember Foundation is looking to help improve men’s health, focusing on Prostate/Testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.
A few years back, I had a scare of my own after finding a lump on my testicle. Thankfully it turned out to be nothing to worry about, but I certainly did more than a little worrying and panicking before getting the all clear from my GP.
In general, there seems to be somewhat of a taboo when it comes to talking about such matters, especially with relation to mental health, but I really feel that the first step to helping yourself when something is not right is to speak up, whether to a trained professional, or even just a close friend.
Though the foundation will always be accepting donations, its biggest fundraising event is during the annual Movember, where men (Mo Bros) grow moustaches or some other form of facial hair through the month of November for donations. As a rugby boy, I have been proud to see the sport so closely linked to Movember over the year, with a number of Premiership and international players sporting their face fuzz in games and premiership clubs usually competing to see which club can raise the most money during the month.
I have been taking part in Movember since 2011. Most years I have grown the moustache to raise awareness of the event and the charity rather than raised money myself, as I have never felt that I would be able to raise enough to help make a difference. But as of 2016, I decided to take a step forward and have now set up my own fundraising page. As someone who can grow a fairly decent beard (well, one that’s not patchy at least) I try to do something a bit more unusual for Movember rather than just a hairy top lip.
Please take a moment to look at my MoSpace where I will provide regular updates each Movember and if you are feeling generous, any donations will be greatly appreciated.
Eyes on the Ball 