Movember Committee: "We will get tattoos if we reach £20,000"

From Movember themed cocktails (by the UKC cocktail society) to Movember edition t-shirts and tattoos if they raise over 20K, InQuire sat down with the four incredible individuals who are organising the Movember campaign this year.

The Movember committee is made up of the follow men: Cameron Jones, who is heavily involved in RAG, trying to grow a moustache and hosting a lot of events across campus. Peter Wampamba Strain, who is 2nd Team Captain for Men’s Rugby and very involved in getting Sports Clubs fundraising for Movember. Harry Copping, Vice-President for Men’s lacrosse, and is the highest individual fundraiser for Movember so far at £700. Toby Loynes, Social Sec for Men’s Hockey, constantly promoting the Movember merch and he says that he can’t really grow a moustache but is trying regardless.

The team have a 20K target, and here’s how they’re going to smash it.

Q. What is Movember?

Cameron: It is the largest men’s health charity, there new campaign being ‘Man Up Speak Up’, centred around mental health and well-being for men. The goal is to reduce suicide by 20/30 (almost half).

Harry: It also fundraises for testicular cancer and prostate cancer.

Q. What does Movember mean to you?

Harry: It is a fantastic way to raise awareness for mental health, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

Pete; I’ve always been involved in big sports clubs my whole life, I’ve sometimes felt there is a culture of surprising your problems and not talking about it. I think that’s unhealthy. This is a great charity because it erodes those concepts of what it means to be a man, and it benefits young people and those especially in sports clubs.

Cameron: I think it realty supports men’s health. Women’s support is incredible, through breast cancer campaigns, charities and listening services. However, we are trying to improve the support for men. Statistics have shown that men are a lot less likely to talk to their friends, seek help or get checked up. Movember helps men to gain to courage to improve their life expectancy and it is a really great cause that tries to promote that.

Toby: Everyone knows someone who has been affected by suicide or mental health issues. I don’t know the exact statistics, but it is a lot. There are a lot of suicides. Even if it isn’t a family member, you would have heard of someone affected by at least one of the things Movember is fundraising for.

Harry: We’ve all got men in our life’s, so we can all relate.

Toby: Everyone has a brother, a dad, a boyfriend.

Q. What UKC sports teams have impressed you the most during Movember so far?

Pete: Sailing and Windsurfing. They’ve got such a small membership as well.

Cameron: Yeah, they smashed it, especially Luke Davies who has raised £300 just himself, and he’s a fresher as well.

Pete: The big sports clubs are pulling their weight as expected. Our top three are rugby, lacrosse and hockey.

Harry: Tennis are a new society and they’ve got a fundraising event on Friday next week. They’re sitting on about £400, and it’s their first year, yet they’re smashing it.

Q. What are you best events and fundraising ideas?

Pete: All of them! Cameron: Yeah, they’re all the best events on campus. But we’ve got hot wing challenge as a pre to NXT, where teams of two will compete against each other in trying the spiciest of wings. We also have a dodgeball tournament and Movember club night at Venue with a photobooth. We’ve got good prizes for our events as well – GBK burgers, vouchers.

Harry: Lacrosse are doing a 24-Hour lacrosse session in the plaza, in which the men’s lacrosse team will take shifts in passing a ball to each other to raise awareness. Anyone can give it a go just by donating £1. Hoping to catch the NXT crowd!

Pete: The casino night went really well, much more sales and success than last year.

Cameron: We’ve got a quiz this Sunday as well, as we’re still looking for teams. Got some CCCU teams as well, so pre varsity competition.

Toby: The t-shirts as well, which we are selling for £5 on campus. They’re really popular, we’ve sold out half already.

Harry: We’ve also got the cocktails on sale in Woodys and K-Bar – which are so tasty and look nice. One is a Malibu style, the other a strawberry flavour. £2 from each cocktail goes towards Movember. They’re called Movember Rain and Movember Fuzz, designed by the UKC Cocktail society.

Q. Should and how can women be getting involved?

Toby: Women should definitely get just as involved in this campaign as men do. Even though you can’t grow a moustache, you can still buy the tops and support events. You can also host events, you could have a party and charge people to get in on the door.

Harry: Women can try and grow a moustache if they want, but I feel they may struggle. There’s also a move with Movember, where you can walk run or cycle 60 kilometres, so display the 60 men that committee suicide every hour.

Pete: Anyone can put up an Instagram story and promote Movember on social media.

Q. What do you want to tell readers in order to get them to donate?

Harry: We have all agreed that if we reach the target of £20,000, we will all get a tattoo of the Movember logo.

Pete: Mind you, a small tattoo.

Cameron: Attend our events. We are on £9000 as of today, so we are well on track to get to £20,000 if everyone donates.

Follow the Movember at UKC page to keep updated on information, and don’t forget to check out the Movember Calendar we have in the classified section of the paper.