Raising Awareness and Funds: Edinburgh University’s Movember Charity

The Edinburgh Tab sat down with the two stached Ambassadors behind running Edinburgh University’s Movember Charity; Ben and Frank. We discussed their individual reasons for joining a Movember charity here at Edinburgh, and why student involvement is so important in supporting the cause.

The stached Movember Ambassadors – Frank (left) and Ben (right)

Motivations behind joining

Ben and Frank became Edinburgh University’s Movember Ambassadors in August of this year after they first heard about the charity through social media advertisement and local fundraising enterprises at high school.

Ben explained his main motivations behind joining the charity originally; ” For me, I’ve lost quite a few people in my life to suicide so it is obviously important to me. Now growing up in my twenties I have come to learn and feel the amount of pressure placed on men, and it’s such a shame we face the stereotype of not being able to open up to others. I don’t want anyone to feel the way that I felt.”

Movember’s Message

The two ambassadors described that one of the biggest problems which is challenged through the Movember charity: breaking the stigmatism. The pair hope to “challenge the face of men’s mental health” through their work at Movember, encouraging men to make themselves and others be able to feel accepted about opening up regarding mental and physical health worries.

Frank explained his views on male vulnerability being accepted and supported today; ” There is a big hyper-masculine attitude in our society, and it’s important to open up, and know that it’s ok to open up to other people in your own specific way.”

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On a personal scale, Ben described how this stigmatism had affected a close relative; ” I even saw it in Grandpa, being born in 1940’s who de-emphasized his own physical health problems when seeking treatment, due to his inability to express his worries due to the lack of an accepting environment for his time.”

The ambassadors hope that charity has the chance to create an environment where men who have been impacted by mental health issues on different scales, can share their own stories without feeling as though their experience is not credible enough for support.

Impact on Students

The pair expressed how the Movember charity plays a significant role in male students mental health and well-being here in Edinburgh.

“Even in student halls, despite the number of other students surrounding you loneliness can still creep in. I mean last year in Pollock there were student suicides within that university accommodation, and I feel that it is still preventable through external support services.”

“For example, Edinburgh University’s Nightline is a great resource, as the contact information for the helpline is on the back of bathroom stalls in the library, but it’s nowhere in Pollock. Although it’s on the back of your student card, nobody looks at their wallet when they are in a crisis, they run to a bathroom.”

The lengthening wait times and lack of readily available resources of professional help through government services is not respective to the scale of men who are in need of support. Hence why familiarising yourself with Movember through the university is such a valuable asset to those who want an environment which discusses and validates male students’ mental well-being.

Your Involvement

Across Edinburgh University, Movember has ran numerous fundraising events in hopes of increasing funds to be able to financially support the charity’s resources which are freely available to those in need. Just recently, the two ambassadors have partnered with multiple university sports clubs such as EUBC or EURFC. Teammates have been getting involved by growing out their moustaches for the month, and donating their sponsorship money in hopes of supporting and raising awareness about the charity.

There are still chances to be able to support the Movember before the month ends, by either donating directly or attending the remaining fundraising events. Outside of sport, the duo have organised fundraising events through Edinburgh’s nightlife such as a Movember night at The Liquid Rooms on the 29th.

If you are in need of accessing support through Movember or other services, they are linked below as such:

• Official Movember Contact
• Edinburgh University Nightline 
• Shout Crisis Helpline