Benjamin Foster
13  year  Mo Bro

£0

Target: £200
raised £1,211 since 2013
My motivation
Fundraising for cause areas including:
Men's health
Prostate cancer
Testicular cancer
Mental health and suicide prevention

Two years ago, I made the fairly rash decision to move back to Manchester, starting a job at the Manchester Cancer Research Centre, while my wife stayed in Oxford. My work involves investigating DNA damage response pathways relevant to cancer biology. I enjoy the work and group, and further enjoy public engagement with schools and the general public, discussing early cancer detection and cancer therapeutics, on top of the day-to-day research I help with. I have learnt a lot more about early detection and the therapies available to patients.

But I am still >160 miles away from my wife, and cat, and I have paid the price personally. I'm terrible at talking about my problems and difficulties in-person, nevermind when moving and living on my own (Juno the black Labrador gets a lot of chit chat from me...). I am appalling at reaching out for help when I need it. I just keep it to myself and keep busy with the day-to-day rigmarole. I end up filling my day with tasks and activities. But it hasn't helped and won't help in the long-term.

Movember aims to help men with their mental health and to get them talking about their struggles so not to deal with problems alone. It also encourages early detection of cancers (check your balls or get your prostate checked if at known risk, please). By growing a moustache for just a single month I hope to encourage an improved community and togetherness. It has certainly helped me a little over the past 13 years of doing it.

Failing that, it'll make people laugh and smile.

How I'm
getting involved
0 of 60 workout
walking
running
I'm going to complete at least 60 tracked workouts (running, walking) this Movember for the 60 men we lose each hour of every day.
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Leave Benjamin a comment
 

Previous year's posts
44 Week(s) Ago
I ran 13.72 km02:38:15

Previous year's activities
44 Week(s) Ago
I ran 13.72 km02:38:15

44 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
Charlotte Foster
£10
Previous year's donations
44 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
Charlotte Foster
£10
44 Week(s) Ago
I ran 2.49 km00:18:02

44 Week(s) Ago
I ran 2.49 km00:18:02

44 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.68 km00:23:35

44 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.68 km00:23:35

44 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.73 km00:22:13

44 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.73 km00:22:13

44 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
Si Little
£10
44 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
Si Little
£10
44 Week(s) Ago
I ran 10.66 km03:17:08

44 Week(s) Ago
I ran 10.66 km03:17:08

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.71 km00:21:21

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.71 km00:21:21

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.63 km00:20:24

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.63 km00:20:24

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.72 km00:21:21

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.72 km00:21:21

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 13.75 km03:16:30

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 13.75 km03:16:30

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.74 km00:23:12

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.74 km00:23:12

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.7 km00:21:40

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.7 km00:21:40

45 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
Laura Boldison
£15

This is such an amazing campaign and is so so important! Thank you for doing your bit with raising awareness - best wishes for the rest of the month!

45 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
Laura Boldison
£15

This is such an amazing campaign and is so so important! Thank you for doing your bit with raising awareness - best wishes for the rest of the month!

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 18.11 km02:41:54

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 18.11 km02:41:54

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.72 km00:20:28

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.72 km00:20:28

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.7 km00:20:00

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.7 km00:20:00

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.43 km00:20:33

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.43 km00:20:33

45 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
Hannah West
£22

Thank you for sharing your personal journey and hard times Ben, it's really inspiring and what you're doing by speaking out and raising awareness is amazing. Wishing you all the best with Movember fundraising

45 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
Hannah West
£22

Thank you for sharing your personal journey and hard times Ben, it's really inspiring and what you're doing by speaking out and raising awareness is amazing. Wishing you all the best with Movember fundraising

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 15.39 km01:22:36

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 15.39 km01:22:36

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 6.46 km00:38:05

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.83 km00:24:50

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.74 km00:26:32

45 Week(s) Ago
I ran 3.87 km00:23:33

47 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
John Knight
£10

Keep growing Ben!

47 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
Emma Davies
£15

Well done Ben. And FP junior parkrun misses you too

48 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
Kimberley Saint
£10

Will enjoy see the tache!

48 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
Gosia Borkowska
£20

You keep that chin wagging and me and the Cat will work on shifting out fine butts up north. Enjoy growing the mo challenge - and consider Tom Selleck :) xx

48 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
Janet Box
£20

Look after yourself, please shout if I can ever help, great cause

48 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
an anonymous supporter
£15
98 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
an anonymous supporter
£20
98 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
Bethan Greenaway
£5
Previous year's posts
98 Week(s) Ago

Movember tail walking

98 Week(s) Ago

Mid Movember charity run with Goodgym Stockport

98 Week(s) Ago

Mo on show at Fletcher Moss parkrun

99 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
an anonymous supporter
£20
101 Week(s) Ago

Opening up conversations

101 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
an anonymous supporter
£10
147 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
Bethan Greenaway
£5
148 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
Saroj Saurya
£25

Great work Ben!! Keep going!!

149 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
Mark Bellinger
£5
149 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
Facebook Fundraising
£10
149 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
Kristy Dallimore
£10
149 Week(s) Ago
Donation from:
Facebook Fundraising
£5
152 Week(s) Ago

Encouraging people to check in with a mate

153 Week(s) Ago

Clean slate today. Check in with a mate today. Will try and keep the moustache updates coming through the month.

201 Week(s) Ago

Thanks all for the kind donations!

201 Week(s) Ago

Smashed the 100 km challenge. The handlebars are still growing and still plenty of time to donate.

203 Week(s) Ago

Half way through! Currently at a conference on protein signaling in Denmark but still exhibiting my Mo. Clocked up over 70 km this month with a quick 5.9 km this morning in Hillerød.

253 Week(s) Ago

Clocking up the clicks. Final MoRunning 10K completed and just 2 MoRuns to do to complete the month. This month has been tough. Having someone to listen to my nonsense at home has almost literally been a life saver. Find someone to listen to your nonsense and return the favour.

255 Week(s) Ago

First 10K of the month. Good solid run in the wonderful November drizzle. Mo still growing.

256 Week(s) Ago

Remember, remember it'll take time to grow... Increased restrictions mean it's all work and no play for a month or so. No football for a month so I'll be trying to average a run a day to keep moving and ticking over.

257 Week(s) Ago

Shave before Movember starts. it's about to get hairy, in more ways than one. Please reach out to those close to give them an ear to listen to and keep supporting one another.

305 Week(s) Ago

Final day of Movember. The money raised here towards research into testicular and prostate cancer and aiding in mental health is so important. Thank you to those that have donated. The money goes only so far so please keep talking to those close by in friends or family to stop things getting bottled up.

307 Week(s) Ago

Half way through Movember. Looking strong so far. But looking this good on the outside is insignificant compared to feeling good and content on the inside. Get talking to those close to you if you need to get anything off your chest or have something going on. Sharing the load could benefit you in so many ways!

309 Week(s) Ago

Interview done. Seemed ok. Now to concentrate fully on moustache growing.

309 Week(s) Ago

Slowly but surely it's growing... it's worth looking a fool if it raises just a little bit of money to help in projects to get men talking about mental and physical health. Please donate!

309 Week(s) Ago

Starting from scratch. Please donate to a good cause to get men talking about their mental health and depression.

357 Week(s) Ago

Final day of donning a moustache

Note: As donations can be made privately, not all donations are displayed to the public.