Movember

Movember is an annual event encouraging men to grow moustaches for the month and to be sponsored to grow them for charity.   It's been running since 2004 and has raised $174 million worldwide towards prostate and testicular cancer charities and also mental health charities - it's aimed towards men's charities as men are notorious for never discussing these serious issues and assuming that "it'll all go away".  So, as well as raising money, it's to raise the profile and get everyone talking.

This year, the money raised is being donated to men's mental health charities - stats show that British men are three times as likely to die by suicide than British women, and suicide remains the most common cause of death in men under the age of thirty-five.   Sobering stuff.

So, I work for the NHS in mental health - and our Service Manager thought we should start some competition going with a prize for growing the best Mo.   Unfortunately, most of the men in our office who COULD grow a Mo have already got one - and the others are all so young, we were a bit concerned they'd manage it within a month!   To try and raise the profile within our office and try to drum up some enthusiasm, I decided to get involved too and, once again, I started a project that I didn't complete.   It had been a great idea - I would knit some tashes for sale and try and get other knitters involved too, and we'd have a box of tashes for sale in the office to raise some funds.  However, I managed two in a month ..... pathetic!

Although I have to say they look very handsome.   (We were asked to submit some photos for our Trust's newsletter, but, because we only had the two, they got swopped amongst the girls in the office, to make it look like we'd been busier!)

And now it's December, Andy's looking after my tash for me!