At Monday morning’s Senior School assembly, Max P and Jamie S (both SVI) spoke about Movember and what St Columba’s is doing to support this amazing charity effort. You can read a transcript of their speech (including links to the donation page and Strava group) below:

Good morning, everyone! Today we will be talking about Movember.

What is Movember? Movember is all about raising awareness and funds for men’s health. This includes prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health issues. It’s a month dedicated to starting conversations, checking in on each other, and, of course, growing some very questionable moustaches. For anyone who doesn’t know, Movember actually started back in 2003 in Australia, when a group of friends decided to bring moustaches back into fashion, and raise awareness for men’s health while they were at it. What started as 30 mates in Melbourne has now turned into a global movement with millions taking part each year.

This year, we want to get a lot of you involved with our Miles for Movember Challenge. We’ve set up a group on Strava, where you can run, walk, or cycle 60 miles across November.

The number 60 isn’t random; it represents the 60 men who die by suicide every hour around the world. It’s a tough and hard-hitting statistic, but it’s also a reminder of why Movember matters and why getting active, talking, and supporting each other can make a real difference. 

We want everyone whether it’s pupils, teachers or parents to get involved. Whether you’re walking your dog or going for a cycle, every mile counts. Together, we can hit that 60-mile target and raise awareness while we’re at it. 

And remember, it’s not about how fast or how far you go – it’s about taking part and supporting a great cause. You could do a few miles each weekend with friends, set yourself a small daily goal, or even get your class to take on a mini team challenge. It’s a great way to stay active, spend time outdoors, and do something positive for others at the same time. Plus, we’ll be keeping track of our progress throughout the month, so we can see just how far our St Columba’s community can go together. 

And for those of you who’d rather take a less physical approach to Movember, keep an eye out for some of our SVIs and teachers who are growing their best moustaches this month. We’ll be cheering them on and maybe even voting for the best ’stache later on. 

You can donate to our St Columba’s Movember campaign by following this link. Every bit helps fund important research and mental health initiatives. 

And this is just the start. We’ve got more Movember activities coming up throughout the month to help raise as much awareness as possible. 

So, get your trainers on, join the Strava group, and help us make a difference this Movember one mile, one moustache, and one conversation at a time.