You might have noticed it. The influx of union bake sales and moustached men, coupled with hundreds of football guys running about six marathons a day. It could only mean one thing.
Movember at Strathclyde, and this year it was bigger and better than ever.

Starting over 20 years ago in Australia with just 30 friends, the Movember charity has now grown to over 60 million members. The movement aims to spark conversations and encourage people to speak up about both their mental and physical health.

Societies’ Input

This year, Strathclyde raised over £25,000 in support of men’s health, surpassing last year’s total of £17,795 and smashing their £20,000 target, delivering an incredible month of fundraising and awareness.

This success was driven by the Movember committee and all the societies that took part – raising not only money but awareness for the cause.

Throughout Movember, many societies got involved:

Strathclyde Swimathon – @suswpc
Their goal was 100km.
In the end, they swam 241.5km in 12 hours, raising over £1,000.

Strathclyde Pool Tournament – @strathpool
With £5 tickets, £1-per-ball 6-Red Shootouts, and group matches, they raised £380.

Strathclyde Men’s Futsal 24-Hour Run – @strathfutsal
Members ran for 24 hours, rotating every hour, covering 256.60km and raising over £1,500.

Other societies also made huge contributions:

Uni of Strathclyde Motorsport – @usm.formulastudent
Running, biking, and rowing a combined 352 miles.

Strathclyde Basketball – @strathbasketball
Hosted a 3×3 tournament for Movember.

Strathclyde Men’s Rugby – @strathunirugby
Raised money with every match, delivering some entertaining forfeits.

Strathclyde Football – @strathfootball
Completed multiple challenges with hilarious forfeits and great content.

Glasgow Stags – @glasgowstags
Hosted two exhibition matches in support of Movember.

All these efforts contributed to a fantastic final total, smashing last year’s amount. The funds raised support world-class men’s health projects in mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

Forfeits

For every fundraising milestone the Strathclyde Movember team reached, more “forfeits” were unlocked. Throughout the month, followers on @movember_strath could watch the chaos unfold. The list included:

£2,500 – Makeup for Movember

£5,000 – Cold Dip

£7,500 – Tutus in the Gym

£10,000 – Cold Plunge

£12,500 – Chilli Challenge

£15,000 – Stretcher Cross Around Glasgow

£17,500 – 60x Up Montrose Street

£20,000 – Fraser Brown and Ben Dryden shaving their heads

£25,000 – Ross Cooper applying Deep Heat to his… well. Yes. His balls. Dear god above.

All forfeits were completed after donations closed on 8 December.

TIC Conference

Alongside society events, the Movember team secured the Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) for an in-depth lecture on current perspectives in prostate cancer research. The session featured leading researchers, clinical experts, and a survivor’s account, offering insight into both challenges and emerging solutions.

Opening speaker Marie Boyd said:
“If at least one person leaves here tonight and goes to tell someone about the charity, we will have helped to save a life.”

CamGlen Radio

Movember ambassadors Ben Dryden and Ross Cooper were also invited onto CamGlen Radio with Derek McCutcheon to discuss the campaign and raise awareness among listeners.

Ambassadors’ Insight

When asked why they support Movember, here’s what they shared:

Ross Cooper:
“I got involved in Movember because I have a passion for fundraising and campaigning, and I wanted to help make a difference to men’s health. Particularly in Scotland, we have a bad relationship with mental health. This is something anyone can help change, so it’s great to be able to contribute. I enjoy seeing all the teams across the University come together for one cause.”

Ben Dryden:
“I joined to support this campaign because I’ve seen firsthand the impact of people not speaking out about their mental health. If raising awareness saves even one person, it will all be worth it.”

As this year’s Movember campaign comes to an end, what stands out most is the collective energy across campus: the challenges completed, the events hosted, and the honest conversations encouraged. Strathclyde’s students once again showed what can happen when a community unites behind an important cause.

Movember may be over, but the awareness raised will keep making an impact throughout the year.