On Wednesday 19th November, International Men’s Day celebrates worldwide the positive value men bring to the world, their families and communities. Last Tuesday 11th November, we came together for an incredible Men’s Health Network call to celebrate Movember, a fantastic initiative to awareness and funds for men’s health – specifically prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention – and what a turnout it was.
More than 60 people from across Cygnet attended the meeting, smashing our challenge to support the Movember 60s initiative. There were some fantastic moustaches on display too, a visual display and a conversation starter for those who support the initiative, and the energy in the virtual room was inspiring. A huge thank you to Mike who spoke candidly about his experience of prostate cancer, and everyone who attended, shared their stories and supported one another. These conversations matter, they help us break down stigma and remind us that it’s okay to talk about men’s health.
We’ve set ourselves an ambitious fundraising target as a network for Movember: collectively we want to raise £3,600.
Why £3,600? Because it represents 60 x 60, aligning with the Movember 60s challenge. The number is significant because one man dies by suicide every 60 seconds globally.
As a network, we’re pledging to honour the 60’s by taking on personal challenges that reflect this number. Here are some ideas:
- Walk 60km in November
- Do 60 push-ups a day
- Speak to 60 different people to raise awareness
- Share 60 moments of support with others
We are also encouraging all services to host event days, get-togethers, and awareness activities throughout the month. Whether it’s a coffee morning, a themed dress-up day, or a wellbeing walk, every moment counts.
Movember isn’t just about moustaches and challenges, it’s about saving lives.
Here are some stark facts we discussed during the call:
- Globally, more than 720,000 people die by suicide every year.
- One man dies by suicide every 60 seconds worldwide.
- In the UK, 4,300 men die by suicide annually.
- In England and Wales, suicide is the leading cause of death among men aged 20–34.
- At Cygnet, we employ 1,526 males aged 20–34 – that’s 11.5% of our workforce whose leading cause of death is most likely suicide.
- Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in the UK – one man dies every 45 minutes.
- Testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men in the UK, with 35,000 men living with or beyond a diagnosis.
These numbers are sobering, but they highlight why our efforts matter.
Movember funds initiatives that tackle mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer, all issues that affect men in our communities and workplaces.
So far, we’ve raised £1,800, which is a fantastic start, but we need YOUR help to get to the finish line.
Every pound counts, and every conversation matters.
Please donate today if you can, and help us hit our target of £3,600, either by visiting our Movember fundraising page.
Movember isn’t just about moustaches, it’s about saving lives.