Rugby coach talking to young player about mental health.
Your donations help raise much-needed funds and awareness.Image by: Movember
Rugby coach talking to young player about mental health.
11 October 2021

10 men's health projects that your donations funded in 2021

Movember
4 minutes read time

Movember has been changing the face of men’s health for almost two decades. In fact, we've funded more than 1,250 projects globally since we started in 2003. Our mission is to enable men to live happier, healthier, longer lives. We do this by raising much-needed funds and awareness for prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. Here are 10 men’s health projects made possible, thanks to our amazing Mo community.

British men in worldwide trial for prostate cancer home test kit

Thousands of men worldwide are trialling a home test kit for prostate cancer following pioneering research funded by Movember. The Prostate Urine Risk (PUR) test helps doctors decide whether men who have already been diagnosed with the disease are likely to need active treatment within the next five years. The Prostate Screening Box is being tested on men in the UK, Italy, Germany and Canada. It could revolutionise diagnosis and may be available to men within three years. Tell me more.

Funding mental health projects for vets and first responders

We’re funding projects around the world that support the mental health and wellbeing of military veterans and first responders – two groups at increased risk of poor mental health and suicide. With additional funding from Gillette in the UK, they include initiatives like the University of Leicester’s Resilient Senior Leaders Programme (RESLEAPS), aimed at supporting the mental health of police superintendents. Tell me more.

Improving men’s social connections

Launched in 2020, Movember’s Social Connections Challenge will identify strategies to strengthen the social connections among men who are socially isolated, particularly in the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns. Movember is funding 11 projects in Australia, Canada, Ireland and the UK. Among them are initiatives like the Chai in the City project, aimed at breaking the stigma surrounding mental health for men and boys from Punjabi communities in the UK. Tell me more.

Better mental health and wellbeing for motorcyclists

Thanks to funds raised through the annual Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR), Movember is supporting the mental health and wellbeing of motorcyclists around the world. The DGR Social Connections Challenge will support projects in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, including Quay Rider, a mentorship initiative based at a motorcycle workshop in Poole, Dorset, that connects older men with younger men who are living in care. Tell me more.

Teaching mental fitness to teenage rugby league players

Movember’s flagship Ahead of The Game programme is continuing to roll out face-to-face mental fitness workshops to 8,000 teenage rugby league players, their parents, and sports coaches. The evidence-based programme is aimed at adolescent boys, aged between 12-18, and delivered through community sports clubs. During the two-hour workshops, participants learn how to identify signs of anxiety, depression and low mood in themselves and others. In separate workshops, their parents and sports coaches learn how to distinguish between potential mental health problems and normal teenage behaviour. The workshops are delivered by current and former professional athletes. The program is delivered in partnership with Rugby League Cares. Tell me more.

Understanding why Black men have twice the risk of prostate cancer diagnosis

Black men are twice as likely as other men to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Now, we're closer to understanding why, thanks to a major new study led by scientists in the US and the UK. Researchers have identified 86 new genetic changes that could pick out men who might benefit from earlier and more regular screening. Tell me more.

Sparing unnecessary worry for men with prostate cancer

Men Like Me is a simple, online questionnaire that takes less than 30 seconds to complete and allows men living with prostate cancer to compare their experiences with other men who have gone through similar treatment. Tell me more.

Empowering men to be better fathers

Movember’s Family Man is the world’s first parenting program designed with dads in mind. It helps men tackle the kicking, screaming and WTF moments of being a dad. By equipping men to deal with parenting’s ups and downs, Family Man helps dads reduce stress. Tell me more.

Tackling testicular cancer with Nuts & Bolts

Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men. Nuts & Bolts has been designed to provide user-friendly information and peer-to-peer support for men with testicular cancer following diagnosis, during treatment and the post-operative period. British men can now also sign up to Talk to a Guide. This programme buddies up men with a guy who's had testicular cancer and who, through Movember’s training, knows how to support and listen. Tell me more.

The search for new prostate cancer tests

Using tissue samples donated by hundreds of men over the last two decades, Movember-funded researchers hope to identify more accurate ways of distinguishing between aggressive cancers and slow-growing ones. The hope is that this research will lead to new tests that can predict how a man’s prostate cancer will develop over time, so doctors can decide on the right treatment. Tell me more.