Alliance Representatives, East Belfast Assembly Member Chris Lyttle, Castlereagh Councillor Michael Long and Belfast City Councillor Andrew Webb taking part in Movember to raise Men’s Health awareness and funds for mens cancer charities, including The Prostate Cancer Charity and The Institute of Cancer Research, have had their moustaches trimmed by Brenda Shankey, Managing Director at supporting partner Jason Shankey Male Grooming in East Belfast. You can support the Movember campaign by donating to these charities online at http://uk.movember.com/mospace/1892040
Chris Lyttle MLA said: “Movember is an excellent initiative, which raises awareness and millions of pounds worldwide to help combat mens cancer. I have a friend battling cancer and a month of sporting a dubious moustache is the least we can do in support of his and other men’s fight. I am very grateful that Brenda Shankey was able to give the Alliance Movember Team a trim and a look forward to a closer shave at the end of the month.
Cllr Michael Long said: “Cancer devastates families and is a blight on our whole society, so I am very pleased to be taking part in Movember. This is a fun way of promoting awareness and raising funds for a very serious issue that affects so many people.”
Alliance Movember Team Captain Cllr Andrew Webb said: “I lost my brother in law earlier this year to cancer and I was keen to use Movember to raise awareness of men’s health issues and raise money for charities that research into male cancers. Having a moustache is a very “interesting” look and I want to thank Brenda and her team for helping keep our unruly facial hair in order.”
ENDS
ABOUT MOVEMBER
During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces in the UK and around the world. The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men.
On Movember 1st, guys register at Movember.com with a clean-shave face and then for the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery. Mo Sistas are the women who register to support the men in their lives, raising funds by seeking sponsorship for their Mo-growing efforts.
Mo Bros effectively become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November and through their actions and words raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health.
At the end of the month, Mo Bros and Mo Sistas celebrate their gallantry and valor by either throwing their own Movember party or attending one of the infamous Gala Partés held around the world by Movember, for Movember.
The Movember Effect: Awareness & Education, Survivorship, Research
The funds raised in the UK support the number one and two male specific cancers – prostate and testicular cancer. The funds raised are directed to programmes run directly by Movember and our men’s health partners, The Prostate Cancer Charity and the Institute of Cancer Research. Together, these channels work together to ensure that Movember funds are supporting a broad range of innovative, world-class programmes in line with our strategic goals in the areas of awareness and education, survivorship and research.
For more information on the programmes we are funding please visit the following:
The Prostate Cancer Charity
The Institute of Cancer Research
Awareness & Education
Global Action Plan
Movember – a global movement
Since its humble beginnings in Melbourne Australia, Movember has grown to become a truly global movement inspiring more than 1.1 Million Mo Bros and Mo Sistas to participate, with formal campaigns in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, the UK, Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa and Ireland. In addition, Movember is aware of Mo Bros and Mo Sistas supporting the campaign and men’s health cause right across the globe, from Russia to Dubai, Hong Kong to Antarctica, Rio de Janeiro to Mumbai, and everywhere in between.
No matter the country or city, Movember will continue to work to change established habits and attitudes men have about their health, to educate men about the health risks they face, getting them to act on that knowledge thereby increasing the chances of early detection, diagnosis and effective treatment.
In 2010, over 112,000 UK Mo Bros and Mo Sistas got on board, raising £11.7 million.
Big steps have been taken towards changing attitudes and habits relating to men’s health around the world but there is still much to be done to catch up with the women’s health movement. Via the moustache, Movember aims to fulfill its vision of having an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health, by continuing to spark conversation and spread awareness of men’s health each year.