10 men’s health projects your donations have funded in the UK
We won’t forget 2020 in a hurry. It’s been a big year and the world has changed dramatically. But some things remain the same: men are still dying too young. With the funds raised by our Mo Bros and Mo Sisters, we’re on a mission to change this.
From uniting the world’s brightest minds and funding ground-breaking research, to launching our own programs designed with men in mind, here’s a look at our top project highlights of 2020.
1. Ahead of the Game
Improving the mental fitness of teenage athletes through community sport
Sometimes sport is hard - but sometimes life is harder. The Movember Ahead of the Game programme teaches young athletes how to build resilience and overcome challenges in sport and life. It sets them up with the skills to look after their mental wellbeing now and in the future. Through our partnership with Rugby League World Cup 2021, 8,000 teenage athletes and their families and coaches will be given mental fitness workshops over the next year.
Find out more here Rugby League and Ahead of the Game
2. DGR Social Connections Challenge
New ideas to improve mental wellbeing of motorcyclists
We've teamed up with our mates at The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride to fund mental health projects aimed at improving the mental wellbeing of motorcycle riders. A total of 18 projects from across Australia, New Zealand, the US and the UK have now been awarded initial funding that will help them to develop their ideas including Quay Rider, a project based in Poole, Dorset, that connects young men living in care, with mentors and teaches them how to build and modify a motorcycle.
3. Movember Conversations
An online tool to help you have those tough conversations
It's never been more important to support each other but sometimes it can be hard to know what to say. That’s where Movember Conversations comes in. It’s an interactive tool that lets you experiment and practise questions and responses, giving you the skills and confidence to approach those difficult conversations. Check it out at conversations.movember.com.
4. Family Man
Our new parenting program for dads
Only a fifth of people who take part in parenting programs are dads. We wanted to see this change, so we created Family Man – a new parenting program built with dads in mind. By equipping men with the right parenting skills, we’re aiming to increase their confidence in handling stressful situations, which promotes a calmer environment at home and makes for better mental wellbeing for everyone.Take a look at familyman.movember.com.
5. The Changing Room
Getting fans to tackle their mental health through football
The Changing Room has one goal – to improve men's mental health and wellbeing using the power of professional football. Aimed at men aged 30-64, this Edinburgh-based project brings fans together to tackle mental health in the changing room of their home ground (Hiberian FC and Hearts of Midlothian FC). Take a look: The Changing Room
6. Men’s Pie Club
Finding friendship through a shared love of pies
For the last three years, Movember has proudly funded the Men’s Pie Club in Newcastle, a scheme which brings together socially isolated men to celebrate their shared love of the famous British dish. It’s a simple idea which sees groups of up to 10 guys meet up once a week to make and eat a pie together.It teaches them the skills they need to cook their own nutritious food and gives them the opportunity to build new friendships with each other. Find out more: Men’s Pie Club
7. The PUR test
Game-changing test for men diagnosed with prostate cancer
When you’re diagnosed with prostate cancer – you need the right information to make informed decisions. We urgently need more accurate tests which can tell doctors whether a man’s cancer is likely to need treatment within the next five years. Movember is proud to have funded the Prostate Urine Risk (PUR) home-testing kit from its earliest stages, right through to a major trial involving thousands of men across the UK. Find out more: The PUR test
8. Olaparib
A prostate cancer drug breakthrough
At Movember, we love changing the game. This year, we have helped do that for men with advanced prostate cancer. Olaparib, a precision medicine that has been proven to extend survival for some men with advanced prostate cancer, was given US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. The breakthrough is the culmination of a decade of research involving collaboration between scientific teams around the world and supported by funding from Movember. Tell me more.
9. The PROFILE study
Solving the mystery of why black men are at higher risk of prostate cancer
Globally, men of African and Caribbean descent are more likely to get prostate cancer as well as die from it. The PROFILE study, led by team of UK researchers, is aiming to find out if it’s possible to predict prostate cancer risk. The researchers will recruit hundreds of men of African or Caribbean descent, who haven’t previously had prostate cancer, and look for clues in their DNA. They hope this will identify why these men are more likely to get prostate cancer and lead to new ways of preventing or delaying the disease. Check it out here: the PROFILE study
10. Tiger trial
Identifying the best treatment for men with testicular cancer
Although testicular cancer is highly treatable, it tends to recur in a small number of men. Sadly, these guys often have a poorer chance of survival and suffer debilitating side effects from increasingly toxic treatments. The multi-national TIGER trial is aiming to answer once and for all whether high-intensity chemotherapy gives them a longer and better quality of life or whether the side effects of their treatments come at too great a cost. We’ve seen great progress over the last 12 months. There are now 37 sites open in Europe – including seven in the UK - and recruitment has passed the halfway point. We hope to recruit the patients needed in the near future. Find out more: The TIGER trial