Celebrating Men and Championing Health: International Men’s Day & Movember
November 19th is International Men’s Day, which is a chance to celebrate men’s contributions while addressing the challenges they face, especially when it comes to health and wellbeing. One of the most recognised movements during this month is Movember, where men grow a moustache to spark conversations and fundraise for men’s health charities.
This year, various people from Saab UK are taking part, including Harry (Health and Safety Manager at Seaeye), Rob (SR20 Product Manager at Seaeye), Ian (IT Infrastructure Engineer), and Mike (Head of Business Development and Sales – Weapon Locating Radar). We spoke to these individuals about why they're taking part, and what Movember means to them.
Harry: I have been a supporter of Movember for a few years now. Following the death of a friend due to prostate cancer, and being a veteran with more than one friend who has taken their life, I think it’s really important to remember these people I had the privilege of knowing and to promote conversations around these issues, especially mental health. I find it interesting that not everyone knows about Movember, so when someone I see out and about in my community asks me about why I have a moustache all of a sudden, it opens up a conversation that can be thought provoking, sometimes emotional, and sometimes funny. You never know - so I urge anyone, no matter how feeble their facial hair may be, to grow a mo for a bro at this time of year and remember that it’s okay not to be okay.
Rob: I’m hoping that my Movember look will spark either laughter or opportunity for Movember conversations. On a training course, my colleague’s interesting fact was “I’ve successfully been treated for depression” – I thought “wow, that’s brave”. Several years later, when I was challenged by anxiety, I remembered what she’d said and felt confident to seek support. Her one line had completely normalised this for me. Movember face-fuzz gives a bit of a comical intro into wider discussions, and men are skilled at ignoring health questions, so let’s use this month to improve on that a little, via the medium of dodgy ‘taches!
Ian: I recently saw a short describing the suicide rate and the numbers are staggering, three out of four people that take their lives are men, 12.5% of men in England are suffering from one of the common mental health disorders. Men are three times more likely than women to become alcohol dependent, so I am very proud to be helping in a small way to address these issues.
Mike: I’m supporting Movember because it raises awareness and funds for men's health issues, specifically prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's mental health and suicide prevention. I have lost family members to cancer and have friends and colleagues who have suffered from mental health issues, so if I can raise some money to help this cause by growing a moustache then I’m happy to do it.