After a month of growing moustaches and exercising, the WSP Movember team in Australia led by Matthew Wood, Workplace Manager – Sydney Region, raised a staggering $11,862 for the leading charity that’s changing the face of men’s health.
Guy Templeton, CEO Asia Pacific, says, “Congratulations to Matt and the whole team for their outstanding fundraising efforts this November for such a worthy cause.”
Our Movember motivation
“I have been involved with Movember for about 10 years,” says Matthew Wood. “I lost an uncle to mental health issues. People need to know that they are supported, and Movember is a great way to show that.”
This year, Richard Traill, Senior Civil Engineer - Roads Aviation & Civil, raised a whopping $1,301.
“I’ve been doing Movember for as long as I’ve been able to grow fuzz on my upper lip and I likely won’t stop until I’m able to grow a decent mo (no signs of this happening anytime soon). I got involved in Movember to raise awareness for men’s health, in particular mental health – which affects everyone. In fact, it’s the biggest killer for people aged 15 to 44.”
Richard says that the severe misconception of burying emotions and suffering in silence is slowly improving.
“With these things, progress can be slow and is not always linear,” adds Richard. I truly believe that the more we talk about it and the better the support is, the stronger the progress will be in the future. It’s so important that we continue to ask people how they are, really listen to the answer, and ask follow-up questions. Basically, just being there for your mates.”
Dan Cunningham, Principal – Building Services, has been involved in Movember for 15 years. This year, Dan also raised more than $1,200 for the great cause.
Dan says, “Movember is important to me because I know how devastating poor mental health can be. It’s critical that we all take regular moments to reflect on our health and mental health. I’m happy to catch up, chat, and listen all year round – not just in Movember.”
Saad Humaid, Associate Digital Engineer - Roads Aviation & Civil and VIBE representative VIC, says, “Harden up. Suck it up. Man up. We’ve been telling our men this for years and it’s not healthy. This is part of the reason why I get involved in Movember. The stigma of what it means to be a ‘man’ is evolving and Movember helps this process.”
The reality is, mental health, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer doesn’t just affect the men in our lives. It affects everyone. For those who couldn’t grow moustaches, walking, running, and cycling was the next best option. Jamaya Plackowski, Consultant – Infrastructure Investment Decisions, cycled over 600km and Katherine Fellows, Senior Consultant – Strategy, Change, & Advisory, ran 60km for the 60 men we lose every hour across the world.
Katherine says, “Mental health matters. Movember is working to help men stay mentally healthy, but they can’t do it alone.”
The Sunshine Coast Soup Strainers
Troy Kernaghan, Principal Civil Drafter – Transport, formed the Sunshine Coast Soup Strainers over nine years ago to raise awareness for men’s health.
“Before Movember became a national movement across all of our offices, I started a Sunshine Coast Movember team and have been organising it ever since,” says Troy. “Every year, we give a presentation at the office on Movember, and why it’s important for people of all ages to get involved. We also get a photo wall going and organise fun competitions. At the end of Movember, we put on a spread and have a lot of laughs.
“Movember is an important initiative for me. I’ve been getting involved for 15 years now, and I can see how much the stigma has changed over time. It’s all about breaking the ice and having that initial conversation with someone.”
Dr Brody Clark, Associate Pavement Engineer – TPT Roads Aviation & Civil and member of the Sunshine Coast Soup Strainers, has been involved in Movember for three years now.
Brody says, “I think Movember tackles male mental health stigma head on. For so long, we’ve adhered to the narrative that men shouldn’t really speak out about their mental and physical health problems. I truly believe Movember is reshaping this narrative to save lives all around the world.”
Last year, WSP Australia raised $9,561 for the cause.
If you’d like to make a difference to men’s health and support this year’s efforts, there is still time to donate to the WSP national team page here.
Other useful resources are available at Beyond Blue (1300 224 636), MensLine (1300 78 99 78), and Lifeline (13 11 14).
