Brunel’s Rugby club teams up with Movember Foundation

Students from Brunel University’s Rugby team ran 60km to raise money and awareness to help suicidal men.

Around 30 students took part in the event on Thursday around the university’s athletics track.

Movember is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men’s health issues, such as Anxiety and depression.

However, this run was specifically to represent the victims of suicide.

Rebecca Stone, Vice Chair of Team Brunel Rugby, said: “The aim of the 60km run is to represent the 60 men that take their own lives every hour across the world, so the run is raising awareness of this issue.”

Photo Credits: BrunelRugby.

Matt Ottewell, 21 of Sports Science, said: “I ran because I feel strongly about the cause as it included testicular and prostate cancer and we’ve all lost family and friends to that.”

28% of men had to sought medical help for the last mental health problem they experienced compared to 19% of women, according to a survey conducted by YouGov for the Mental Health Foundation (2016).

Isabel Barclay, Media Officer and fullback of Team Brunel Rugby, said: “The Brunel Rugby Movember is collecting donations to raise awareness of men’s mental health, I think there is a stigma around mental health in general, and more needs to be done to support and de stigmatise this issue.”

In total, Brunel University has raised £1,468 so far for Movember.

The Movember Foundation is the leading global organisation committed to changing the face of men’s health. Since 2003, Movember has funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects around the world.

The charity exists to help men live happier, healthier and longer lives.

To donate: https://uk.movember.com/donate.