While you might not associate Movember with this month, the message of the charity is important all year round, and they’ve just launched a surprise installation that serves as a reminder in the buildup to their main campaign in November.
This morning at Borough Yardsthey set up a bench to inspire people to talk about mental health more openly, while taking a minute to rest and have a quiet moment amid the hustle and bustle of the city.
As it arrived at 9am, people were invited to sit down with a friend, a loved one, or a stranger to share a moment together – as you can see, the bench requires two people for balance, making it a clever play on the old ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ saying. For Movember, the process has led to good conversation and both men and women have been sharing with each other on the ‘a problem halved’ bench.
The bench will remain in place until 6pm, so be sure to head down and take a moment to relax during the working day.
This, along with Movember’s overriding mission, aims to bring about conversations about men’s health, with men making up three of every four deaths by suicide in the UK. The charity champions being for everyone in a bid to improve health and have a positive impact on everyone in society. Encouraging people to reach out and have conversations is at the forefront of their mission, and is exactly what the ‘problem halved bench’ aims to inspire.
Speaking on the news, Tom Ellis, Director of Young Men’s Health Literacy Initiative at Movember said, “Checking in with your mates is one of the most important things you can do to help – as it’s not always obvious when someone is struggling.
“Our Movember ‘A Problem Halved’ bench physically represents how conversations lighten the load, and that life becomes easier with someone by your side.”
Find the Movember ‘A Problem Halved’ bench to take a moment amid the hustle and bustle of the city today at Borough Yards. You can sign up or donate to Movember here.
