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Taches grow across campus
Many staff and students at St George’s have been taking part in Movember when men are sponsored to grow facial hair for charity and all money raised goes towards men’s health issues.
Movember has become an annual intuition world-wide and an opportunity for men to indulge their favourite styles of moustache, be it the Mexican bandit look from Spaghetti westerns or the archetypal RAF flying ace handlebars version.
Students’ Union president Mo Amer, has the perfect name for Movember and is taking part along with other members of the sabbatical committee.
He said: “My dad loved it as he has a moustache and he wanted one of his sons to have one too.
“As a medic and at St George’s, it’s even more important for us to be support men’s health issues.”
Martin Watson, aged 33, of Hastings, who is in his first year of a Paramedic Practioner course, is one of 20 at Hastings Ambulance Station taking part this year in Movember.
He said: “This is the first year I’ve done it. Physically it’s unusual to get used to but you get a nod and a smile form people in the streets. It’s all good fun.”
As a South east Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust Clinical team Leader, he sees movember as another way of helping people.
Matt Harrison, 30, who is a final year physio student and has headed the physio team at the Robert Low Sports Centre for the last couple of years, has been doing Movember for the last six years and has again this year.
He says attitudes have changed over that time. He explained: “to grow a moustache is a really easy thing to do but it can make a big difference to raise awareness for Men's health issues, just by having one it's a conversation starter to help get men thinking about their health, that I think as a gender we're not great at doing. Plus the money raised definitely saves lives.
“The first year was a bit weird as people looked at you a bit suspiciously.
“But now it has become quite commonplace everyone seems to know why you are sporting a moustache. I get nods of acknowledgement form others with moustaches so it’s now become a not so secret group. It’s a great caused and I am hoping to raise £200 this year.”
Eoghan Beaton, who works in the Exams team, is taking for the second year.
He said: “I do feel that my moustache has added a certain mystique to my look, I definitely feel more of a grown up although sometimes I just feel that people just see the moustache and not the real me!
“All in all, I am however happy to receive the looks of disdain to raise awareness and a little money for a very good cause.”
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Howard Wheeler |