When the clocks go back you just know it is that time of year.
The time of the year when small fuzzy creatures appear in various shapes and sizes, coming together to create warmth and do what they can to help their species.
Yes, it's Movember, the annual month of fundraising and awareness raising across the world. A chance for men across the world to grow a "Mo" join the man movement. It is a campaign that has seen over £276million raised so far to support the work of men's health programmes with more than 1 million moustaches appearing above the top lips of participants last year.
This fantastic movement wasn't the result of months of strategic marketing discussions. It was, as many great ideas appear, over a pint in the pub that Travis Garone and Luke Slattery came up with the idea and enlisted the first 30 Mo Bros into the very first Movember.
From those humble 2003 origins the campaign is now firmly fixed in the calendar for many men across the world.
So why am I taking part for the 2nd year? It certainly isn't a fashion statement, I don't suit hats and it could be argued that a moustache has the same quality for me. My reasons for participating are simple really, I'm a man and being one I know just how important it is to ensure we raise awareness of all the health issues this side of the chromosome encounter. Because at the end of the day, we encounter quite a lot (we just pretend we don't).
Let's face it, however many times were are told by loved ones, girlfriends and mothers it often takes something drastic or a whole squadron of saddlebacks passing by an upstairs window to get us men to a doctor. For all the demands from TV doctors to seek medical advice or speak to your GP it just isn't going to happen without changing some deep routed male psychology.
Ok the simple growing of a mo isn't going to change that, and believe me I put myself firmly in the old-school camp when it comes to GP's. But growing the Mo not only raises money for prostate and testicular cancer and men's mental health, it creates awareness of these serious problems and puts them squarely in your face...or at least on it.
I see the growing of a mo as my opportunity to bring these issues to the fore, a chance to talk, have some fun and raise money for serious but often forgotten issues.
Movember is simply a chance for me to say, "I'm with you brother" whomever and wherever you may be.
I'd love it if you could support me in my "Mo Grow" even if it's just to say hi. My Mo Space page is http://mobro.co/happysimon
