Mental health is in dire need of support in Scotland and the UK. To help change that the majority of Edinburgh University's male Psychology Department staff (along with colleagues and PhD students across the wider School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences) are growing silly moustaches throughout the month of November, in the great "Movember" tradition.

The moustaches will be documented here with pictures of them in action around the University, as they grow throughout the month.

Who are we:

We are:

Neil Bramley, Rob McIntosh, Martin Pickering, Zachary Horne, Riccardo Marioni, Thomas Booth, Martin Corley, Rene Mottus, Nic Chevalier, Dan Mirman, Patrick Sturt, Hugh Rabagliati, Steve Loughnan, John Martindale, Adam Moore, Graham Mackenzie, Josiah King, Freddie Kamps, Alex Doumas, Drew Altshul, Alfin Bahari, Peyton Synder & Matthew Johnston!

Who are we supporting:

We have chosen to target our fundraising to a fantastic local initiative: The Volunteer Hub is based at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital where adult acute and rehabilitative psychiatric and mental health services are based. The hub provides a wide range of volunteering opportunities and activities for in-patients, who volunteer alongside members of the public in an ethos of equality.

The Hub promotes happiness, wellbeing, belonging and recovery through meaningful activity. Volunteer roles help to create moments of calm, joy, purpose, achievement, and validation, enriching the lives of patients and the wider hospital community. The Hub also provides a peaceful, accepting, relaxing non-clinical space for people to come together and feel part of a friendly, diverse and accepting community, where everyone can be themselves and where people can be seen as people, rather than patients. It is rewarding to be able to see people flourish through their involvement with the Volunteer Hub, and to spend time with people who can find such strength and humour, and who give so generously, even in their most difficult times.

Relationship with Movember for men's health tradition

Poor mental health can affect people of any gender, but mental health outcomes for men and women aren’t equal. Suicide is the leading cause of death in men under fifty in the UK and three times as many men as women commit suicide. At the same time men are far less likely than women to seek help for their mental health. The volunteer hub in particular was a lifeline for many years for Douglas Bramley, for whom this fundraising effort is in tribute.