By Colin, HSEQ Coordinator at Rubbertakins.
This Movember, five brave members of our Rubberatkins team, Lukasz, Ross, Neil, Daniel, and myself, decided to take a slightly unconventional approach to supporting men’s mental health.
Instead of starting clean-shaven and growing the traditional Movember moustache, we began with full beards. Glorious, winter-ready, lumberjack-approved beards. Then, each week, they committed to shaping them into a new style… with varying levels of dignity.
Week one was easy enough: neat trims, crisp lines, respectable shapes. They looked like five men who definitely knew their way around a grooming kit, even if it was just by luck.
Week two took a turn.
The styles became bolder. Riskier. More experimental. One attempted a handlebar. One leaned fully into the “Victorian villain” aesthetic, the twirl starting to take shape and at least one of them learned the hard way that symmetry is not a guarantee. One even had the goatee making an appearance.
By week three, the office was eagerly waiting for “beard reveal day.” People gathered like it was a weekly premiere. Jokes were made. Photos were taken. But alongside the laughs, something more meaningful was happening: the chats about facial hair opened the door to conversations about men’s wellbeing, stress, anxiety, and the importance of speaking up.
By week four, the group’s collective facial hair had evolved into an impressive (and occasionally alarming) gallery of moustaches. Some were surprisingly sharp. Others were… character-building. But all of them had achieved the goal: sparking conversation, raising awareness, and reminding everyone that men’s mental health matters.
In the end, the beards grew out (or were mercifully shaved off), but the impact stayed. Thanks to Lukasz, Ross, Daniel, and Neil, and others who unofficially joined in,
Movember wasn’t just a fundraising effort this year, it was a team event, a source of a lot of laughs, and a powerful reminder to check in on each other.
To everyone who donated, supported, or simply cheered on the weekly transformations: thank you. Your support helps keep important conversations alive.
And to our Beard-to-Mo Heroes your faces deserve a rest, but your efforts definitely made a difference.
In total we raised £383 towards this great cause, with an honourable mention going out to Ross who was the MVP of the team, raising the most money. Just because Movember is done, doesn’t mean we can’t still check in on each other so please take the time and see how your friends and co-workers are doing. Movember | Changing the face of men’s health – Movember