Movember: Why I’m having the conversation he didn’t
Movember is a global movement raising awareness of men’s physical and mental health, from prostate cancer to mental wellbeing and early intervention. This month we’re encouraging honest conversations and inspiring men to seek help sooner.
For Nadia Dhunna, Communications Manager, the message behind Movember is more than awareness, it’s personal. It’s her dad’s story.
Nadia said: “I grew up watching a man who never slowed down. He cycled every single day, no bad weather excuses, no missed mornings. He worked hard, provided for us, and kept going no matter what. He was strong, steady, dependable. He never talked about his health, because in his generation, men didn’t. You just got on with it. Doctors were for when things were truly bad, and by then, you were already behind.
“Years later, life started calling his bluff with diagnosis after diagnosis, diabetes, heart problems, COPD, and two strokes. The bike rides stopped. The hospital visits started, and suddenly, I found myself caring for the very man who used to carry everyone else.
“Movember highlights the statistics of men’s health, but living it firsthand puts faces to those numbers. My dad became one of them.
“What hits hardest is knowing many of the health battles he faces today didn’t come out of nowhere. They built quietly over time, ignored, brushed off, untreated, or simply not checked soon enough. Not because he didn’t care but because men are often taught that caring for themselves comes after caring for everyone else.
“That’s why Movember matters. It’s time to flip the script and tell men what they rarely hear, that looking after yourself isn’t selfish. It’s necessary.
“Men are good at being strong, providing, and showing up for others. But too often, they stay silent when something doesn’t feel right. The stigma around asking for help is still there, and it must change. Movember isn’t just about awareness, it’s about early action and honest conversations.
“Watching my dad now, I’ve realised how important it is to normalise that a check-up isn’t an overreaction, mental health struggles don’t make you weak, preventing illness is braver than ignoring it, and speaking up could save years of suffering later.
“The difference now is that he actually is speaking up. With the support of family and friends, he talks more about his health. He checks in on others, and lets others check in on him. He’s slowly getting active again, starting with daily walks. He’s watching what he eats. He’s asking his friends how they are really doing and feeling.
“And that shift matters just as much as any medication or treatment.
“This Movember, I’m not just supporting a campaign. I’m backing a mission that could have changed my dad’s story if the message had reached him sooner. But more importantly, it’s helping shape his story now, and the story of other men who still think they have face life in silence.”
Get involved this Movember
At CLCH, our Men’s Network Co-chairs, Dominic Mundy and Zubair Patel are leading activities that help men feel seen, supported and connected. This year’s Trust-wide initiatives include:#
• Grow a moustache – using the moustache as a conversation starter
• Move for Movember – getting active with physical challenges linked to suicide awareness (such as 60 km for the 60 men lost to suicide each hour globally)
• Men’s Talk Club – taking place on 19 November at 1pm via MS teams.
• Check-in chats – to make “How are you really doing?” a normal workplace question
