Movember Outcomes
Movember Funded OutcomesThrough the remarkable efforts of Mo Bros & Mo Sistas and the generosity of the Irish public Movember has raised more than €364,000 in its first year.
In Ireland, these funds went directly to Action Prostate Cancer (an initiative of the Irish Cancer Society) so that they may reach their aims of improving the state of men's health.
Action Prostate Cancer
Action Prostate Cancer (an Irish Cancer Society initiative) was launched in April 2006 and since launch, over 10,000 people have sought information and advice on prostate health, with 82% of those enquiries from men. This illustrates that more than ever, men living in Ireland are taking positive action when it comes to their health.
Under the banner of Action Prostate Cancer, the Prostate Cancer Information Service (PCIS) is staffed by specialist nurses where anyone can ring (Freefone 1800 380 380), visit (www.cancer.ie) or call into the Irish Cancer Society offices at 43/45 Northumberland Road, Dublin 4 to discuss their concerns about developing prostate cancer or have their questions answered if they have been diagnosed.
Men Against Cancer (MAC) is a support group for men with prostate cancer. It was established in partnership with the Irish Cancer Society and provides men and their relatives and friends with information, advice and emotional support from time of diagnosis and for as long as it is needed.
Typical calls from undiagnosed men relate to a raised PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) blood test which can point to the presence of prostate cancer, waiting times for tests and investigations and questions on prostate cancer. Typical calls from diagnosed men relate to treatment options, especially the merits of hormone treatment and/or quality of life issues related to the consequences of treatment.
In summary, Action Prostate Cancer, an Irish Cancer Society initiative helps reduce the impact of prostate cancer on families through:
- Encouraging men to be more prostate aware, to open up discussions about the risk of developing prostate cancer with their GP and consider the merit of prostate cancer screening
- Encouraging men to call the Action Prostate Cancer Freefone 1800 380 380 to discuss their prostate cancer risk or their diagnosis of prostate cancer
- Funding research into developing better screening tests, more effective treatments which will prolong life and funding research which will ultimately find a cure for prostate cancer
Further information can be found at www.cancer.ie/prostate
Outcomes: Raising Awareness & Research
Movember's first campaign objective is to raise the awareness and understanding of men's health issues, specifically prostate cancer and depression. We want everyone to know that men over the age of 50, and those over 40 with a family history, are at risk of prostate cancer and encourage them to be tested annually. Prostate cancer is curable if detected and treated early, however, there are normally no early symptoms underpinning the necessity of regular screening.
Movember’s awareness campaign aims to increase the understanding of the health issues faced by men, facilitate early detection and diagnosis which then allows for effective treatment. This will ultimately reduce the number of deaths from prostate cancer.
Over the past couple of years Movember has carried out research in Australia with our registered Mo Bros, Sistas and donors. The research is conducted by Deakin University and is one of the key ways in which we track the efficacy of our awareness campaign in the Australian market. It is our intention to continue with this research going forward and to uptake it in Ireland in order to assess and report back on the progress being made from one year to the next.
The 2008 findings revealed the extent to which participants are listening and acting on the men’s health messages they receive. The latest research produced some extremely encouraging statistics concerning the changing behaviour of Mo Bros. As the statistics below highlight, as a result of Movember, men are beginning to change their attitudes and habits relating to their health.
- 82% of Mo Bros (or approx 102,188) talked about men’s health with friends, family or work colleagues
- 55% of Mo Bros (or approx 68,541) did some of their own research into the causes Movember supports
- 13% (or approx 16,200) sought medical advice
- 38% (or approx 47,355) encouraged someone else to seek medical advice
How we Raise Awareness
Raising awareness is Movember’s number one objective and as a result we take every opportunity to highlight men's health issues each year. In 2008, our efforts resulted in a significant increase in participation numbers and generated media coverage - both of which contribute significantly to community recognition of men's health issues.
Movember looks to maximize all cost effective means of raising awareness in the build up to and during the campaign period. Awareness of men's health was achieved in the following ways during the 2008 campaign:
1. Word of Mouth
During the campaign, each of the registered Mo Bros effectively became a walking billboard promoting men’s health. The growth of a new moustache forces each Mo Bro to explain his new look throughout the month of Movember – to family, friends and colleagues – thereby creating discussion around the topic of men’s health.
2. Media Coverage
2008 was a remarkable year in terms of the media coverage generated for the Movember campaign. The level of exposure was considerable across Ireland and reached hundreds of thousands of people.
3. Events
Movember culminates at the end of the month with a series of Gala Partés. They are held to thank Mo Bros and Sistas for their fundraising efforts during the month. Mo Bros (dressed to suit their Mo) and Mo Sistas (dressed to suit their Mo Bro) come together to celebrate the Mo and compete for a number of category titles.
In addition to the official Gala events organised each year, there are hundreds of smaller events, Mo Parties, organised by participating Mo Bros and Mo Sistas outside of the official Gala areas.
4. The Website
Movember is an online campaign. As result, Movember.com is the hub of Movember. It is where participants and supporters go for details on participation, men’s health issues, charity partners, campaign news, ambassador updates and events.
5. Ambassadors
Each year, Movember is lucky enough to be supported by a number of high profile figures who have a genuine interest in promoting men’s health and embrace the campaign.
The ambassadors – official Mo Bros & Sistas - willingly take part in media interviews, radio appearances, photo-shoots, stunts and campaign events. None of the Movember ambassadors are paid for their time or efforts and we are hugely grateful for their support as it provides a tremendous boost to the campaign in terms of the awareness we are able to generate.
