What is Movember?
Movember is a global men’s health movement that takes place every November. Participants raise awareness and funds for issues affecting men, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men’s mental health. To spark conversations around these topics, many participants grow a moustache during the month, while others choose to ‘Move for Movember’, running or walking 60km to represent one man being lost to suicide globally, every 60 seconds.
Movember has had a major global impact by funding more than 1000 men’s health projects, helping to improve early detections and support research into better cancer treatments, which has significantly raised the quality of care for men worldwide.
It has also backed community programs that promote mental wellbeing and have encouraged men to seek help earlier. It aims to break down current stigmas surrounding men’s health, such as ‘Manning up’. It is one of the most influential movements in men’s health today.
Why is Movember important to Eton?
Eton has over 1300 boys attending the School, not to mention the vast number of Old Etonians. On average, 1 in 8 men will deal with prostate cancer in their lifetime. 77% of men will experience mental health issues, and every 60 seconds a man loses his life to suicide.
Promoting awareness is directly relevant to the students and provides an opportunity for boys to come together and develop empathy, teamwork, and a broader understanding around these issues.
“As a group of close young students who live with each other day in, day out, it’s so important to be aware of not only the physical and mental challenges which so many young men hesitate to speak up about, but importantly create an open and understanding environment where such conversation and action can take place,” said Rollo A (Year 13).
Participation can open up conversations about wellbeing and reduce stigma around discussing emotions so boys can talk without feeling judged.
“Movember tackles exactly this,” Rollo said. “From initiatives to promote inclusion and getting active, to education and awareness, Movember combats the true underlying societal problems that make men’s physical and mental health the prominent issue that it is today.”
How can boys in all years get involved?
Our student-led Movember campaign, in which boys in Year 12 and 13 can get involved by simply growing a moustache throughout the month, has raised over £30,000 in previous years. In 2025, Eton’s fundraiser surpassed £33,000.
“For a number of years, it was only a handful of staff members who supported this wonderful cause but now that the boys have taken up the mantle, the conversations around men’s physical and mental health have become an essential part of the boarding ethos,” said Mike Grenier, Deputy Head (Pastoral).
“The many thousands of pounds raised over the past two years will make a significant difference to those most in need of support.”
This year, we had well over 200 boys participating in the challenge, which is almost half of the entire number of boys in year 12 and 13! The boys have applied themselves brilliantly throughout the month, with a generous amount of donations.
For boys in Years 9, 10, and 11, we introduced a ‘Wear a Mo Day’ alongside mufti day, where boys paid a small amount of money to Movember in order to wear a stick-on moustache for the day. The Movember Committee gave assemblies to each year group, so that every boy had the chance to discuss the men’s health crisis.
For future Movember’s, we hope to introduce more events to involve Years 9, 10, and 11 throughout the month. It was absolutely brilliant to see the appetite of boys who wanted to get involved. Every boy at Eton want men to have happy and healthy lives, and it was an honour to co-lead this year’s initiative.
Find out more about the boys’ motivations and Movember campaign on our fundraising page here.
