University-wide Movember campaign smashes last year’s fundraising total
A fundraising campaign for the men's health awareness charity Movember at Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh has resulted in more than double the amount of money being raised for the cause than in the previous year.
An incredible £7484 was raised for Movember at the end of last year thanks to the fundraising efforts all across the University, driven by QMU Sports and Societies.
The grassroots campaign has evolved since the QMU Men's Rugby club first began fundraising for Movember back in 2016, resulting in not only thousands of pounds being raised for the cause, but also a steady growth in moustaches across campus. The 2020 fundraising efforts also saw the introduction of QMU's first-ever Movember Ambassador, responsible for coordinating the campaign. In addition, 'Move for Movember', an initiative that encourages participants to run or walk 60 kilometres across the month of November in memory of the 60 men lost to suicide each hour around the world.
Despite ever-changing COVID restrictions, QMU students, staff and family members took part, with many taking on gruelling challenges to raise money and awareness for Movember. Resources and support were made available and published widely to demonstrate the vast number of ways to get involved.
Movember is the leading charity working towards changing the face of men's health. Since 2003, it has funded more than 1,250 men's health projects worldwide to raise awareness of and take the fight to male suicide and mental health issues, testicular and prostate cancer. By 2030, they aim to reduce the number of men dying prematurely by 25%.
Calum McKay, QMU Men's Rugby Captain and QMU Movember Ambassador, said: "Being the first year that the campaign has been driven by the full University, it has been amazing to see such positive engagement across the QMU community - coming together under one common goal to raise awareness for Men's health. I would personally like to thank all who got involved with the 2020 campaign, and I look forward to handing the role on to another student to further drive the next Movember campaign in 2021."
Andy White, Vice-President of Queen Margaret University Students' Union (QMUSU), added: "It's been wonderful to see what the QMU community have been able to achieve in such a short space of time. In the most difficult of circumstances with the coronavirus pandemic, to not just have doubled our fundraising total, but to have raised the profile of the charity and what it stands for among students and staff has been fantastic to see."
QMU is well known for its strong sense of community and the University is proud of all of its students who have used their time and energy to make a positive contribution to society. The Movember campaign fits with the University’s vision to improve the world around us and we congratulate everyone within the QMU community who has helped raise the bar during such a challenging year.
Notes to Editor
For further media enquiries, please contact Gavin McNee (Media Relations and Content Officer) at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, E: gmcnee@qmu.ac.uk, T: 0131 474 0000.
