The Movember campaign started 20 years ago in Australia, and is now a leading charity changing the face of men’s health. It has a triple focus on three key men’s health issues - prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men’s mental health.
According to the Movember website, 1.4 million men are diagnosed with cancer globally every year. Meanwhile, testicular cancer continues to be the most common cancer for young men the world over, and one man dies by suicide every single minute of every single day.
Movember aims to raise awareness and funds to help tackle ALL of these issues – and it’s an excellent way to start engaging more men in their own health.
It’s hardly a surprise that men are typically more reluctant to share their feelings, slower to go to their GP, and more likely to ignore ill-health symptoms for longer than their female counterparts. Which is exactly why Movember is such a great opportunity to start conversations about men’s health issues.
Here are 6 things your business can do this Movember:
1. Find your stories
There will be people in your organisation who are already planning on fundraising for Movember – you may spot the early signs of moustache growth around the workplace! Many of them will have personal stories about what it means to them. If they’re willing to share those stories with you and others through internal comms, it’s a great way to raise awareness of symptoms and treatments.
2. Start at the top
Stories and moustaches from and on senior people are a great way to begin your Movember campaign, and set the tone for the rest of the organisation. Recruit your executive team to start talking about Movember, prostate cancer, testicular cancer - and mental health.
3. Make use of Movember resources
There’s lots of resources out there to help you help your organisation talk about men’s health issues. You can find logos, web banners, email signature templates, social media content and articles – plus the traditional posters for the back of the loo doors.
Movember resources
Prostate cancer resources
Testicular cancer resources
Mental health resources
4. Start your own fundraising
You can choose to raise funds as well as awareness this Movember. For your organisation that might look like a bun sale, games in the car park, sponsored runs, walks, bike rides or, of course, MOUSTACHES.
Donating to Movember can fund projects and treatments across the world, helps engage men in their health, unite experts and accelerate change.
5. Update your training
Line managers don’t just manage performance, they’re at the frontline of looking after your people. Movember is a great time to make sure they’re up to date on all your policies around things like mental health and cancer, and to make sure they know how to recognise and talk to someone going through a health crisis of any sort.
Additional training could include things like mental health champion or mental health first aid training, or simply sharing top tips for how to support cancer in the workplace from Macmillan.
6. Remind people about their Equipsme plan
Signposting people to the right information and advice is key - and that includes reminding them about what they can get under their Equipsme plan.
Whether it’s a second opinion from our 24/7 GP, a chat with someone at the nurse advice line about treatment options for themselves or relatives, stress support (if it’s part of your package) or swift diagnosis (if it’s part of your package) – Equipsme is here when people need health back-up. Please make sure people are using us when they need us.
