University of Worcester cricketers have been growing moustaches and going the extra mile to raise awareness of men’s mental health this Movember.
Members of the University of Worcester Men’s Cricket Club in cricket whites ahead of their 5km run
Members of the Men’s Cricket Club committed to a month-long challenge, combining moustache-growing with a collective goal to cover more than 4,000 miles, through running, walking and cycling, recognising the thousands of men who take their own lives each year.
The team is hoping to raise £3,000 for Movember, a men’s health charity that focuses on mental health and suicide prevention, as well as prostate and testicular cancer.
Jack Yendall, the Club’s RAG (Raise and Give) representative, said: “We have people all over the world who are committed to the challenge. We have really pulled together to up the miles.”
Jack said they had wanted to focus their efforts in particular on men’s mental health.
“It’s still very easy for people to imagine that young men don’t want to talk or are okay without being checked in on,” he said. “I think it’s a good thing to raise awareness of the importance of men’s mental health regardless of how much money we raise.”
Alongside the mileage, Club members have pledged to undertake challenges or tasks once certain fundraising targets are reached during the month.
These include students running 10km, bleaching their hair, having their head shaved, and even having a Movember tattoo. Many members ran a 5km in cricket whites, one of the earlier pledges.
The challenge has been demanding, particularly for students on placements abroad as part of the University’s Cricket Coaching and Management degree.
One student on placement on the other side of the world has been adding 5km each day, while another student ran and walked 40km in one go, Jack said.
The challenge has also boosted players’ fitness as they prepare to defend their BUCS Super 8 Indoor national title this month, with team members clocking miles together outside of training.
Jack said: “A secondary part of this is that it has encouraged us to spend more time together checking in with each other, which aligns with the charity’s work.
He added: “By taking people out of the cricket environment and doing something different, people feel that they can share things, and we have had some really good conversations.”
To donate to the challenge, visit the Club’s fundraising webpage.
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