As they say in the movies, “That’s a wrap”, and that is exactly how this year’s MoBros triumphantly ended a hugely successful Movember campaign, raising awareness of men’s mental health as well as a staggering £12,000 along the way.
The charity campaign, which runs throughout November, has become an annual tradition in school, with hundreds of boys and staff doing their bit for the cause every year by raising much-needed funds and educating and raising awareness of men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men’s suicide.
At the helm of the campaign, could be found a rather hairy group of around 80 Upper Sixth Form boys, affectionally known as the MoBros and hairy because of the moustaches grown during the campaign. The ‘tash’ is now synonymous with the charity and is a tangible symbol of the campaign, helping to promote awareness. In fact, this year, the school’s white line painting suppliers Turf Tank UK kindly painted a giant white tash onto the school’s 1st XV pitch!
Each year the bar is set higher and higher by the MoBros, all wanting to put their own unique spin on the campaign. There is always great anticipation over what each year’s cohort will produce and this year the boys certainly did not disappoint.
With a Top Gun theme to the campaign, the boys set about making the now famous ‘Movember Film’ with this in mind and produced a comical take on Kenny Loggins’ Danger Zone, made famous by two generations of Top Gun movies. The three-minute film was created entirely by the boys themselves and, while it will have you laughing out loud, there is also a serious message to take away.
Upper Sixth Former and fellow MoBro Will Roberts explained, “All the boys have worked very hard in trying to make this year’s Movember the best we could, and I for one feel extremely proud of the money and awareness we have raised. We chose Top Gun as our main theme as it had been synonymous with the reintroduction of moustaches into fashion as of late, as well as appealing to boys and parents alike with both films coming out in the two generations. It’s been amazing to see how well the boys have taken to this idea to help create our video and share our message to as many people as possible.”
Throughout the month-long campaign, the MoBros set up a whole host of activities and sporting challenges for the school community in which to get involved. They have run everything from bake-off contests to outrageous non-uniform days (this year the boys donned their favourite Top Gun attire), dodgeball to an open mic night, ‘longest drive’ golf contests to Movember rugby matches, and, new for this year, a Movember silent auction set up and sourced by the boys themselves.
Additionally, the school’s annual Movember Tug of War proved hugely popular and, in many ways, symbolised the whole of Movember: community, camaraderie, endeavour, teamwork and a lot of fun – all underlined by the important message of looking after themselves and those around them.
Having fun, while raising awareness of the serious side of Movember is a major focus of the campaign and something the boys always do exceptionally well.
Did you know?
- Globally, 60 men die by suicide EVERY HOUR
- On average, men die six years earlier than women
- Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men.
In their bid to help educate others, the MoBros led assemblies for Bedford Prep School boys as well as girls at Bedford Girls’ School talking about the campaign, reinforcing the message that showing your emotions and talking about your feelings is really important.
They also delivered lessons to younger boys in the Upper School covering a wide range of areas including physical health, testicular cancer and men’s mental health.
Teacher in charge of the Movember campaign, Mrs Vicky Marriott, said, “Well what a month it has been! I cannot believe how much we have managed to cram into the past 30 days! As the campaign has gathered pace, I have been so very impressed how the Bedford School community have worked together to help raise awareness and funds for Movember. Our initial aim was to raise £10,000 and raise awareness but, in fact, we have reached out to our competitor schools on the fixture circuit, Harpur Trust partners and the local community to raise awareness of men’s mental and physical health, encouraging men of all ages to check in on each other. As I reflect on the events of this month, I do so with a smile on my face. I am so incredibly proud of these young men and really feel we have exceeded our own expectations this year. As I hang up my Movember t-shirt, I wonder how we will survive without the incredible cakes at break time! And, like some poignant end to an epic film, our massive ‘mo’ at the front of school will slowly fade away leaving lasting memories of all we have achieved.”
During the campaign month, the boys have raised a staggering £12,025 (at time of writing) placing them top of the Movember school’s league table.
All donations made to the Bedford School MoBros fundraising space will count towards the total up until the campaign closes on 8 December. If you would like to help support the boys and this worthy cause, you can make you donation here.