I've had my beard on and almost off for the last few years. Long enough that it caused an outpouring of objection and disgust from my family when I shaved it off and proudly told them I was going to make a stand for Men's Health Awareness this Movember.

Why now? Why not.

My own personal story, to relate to and raise awareness for, has two parts to it.

The first part came to a head right at the beginning of November 6 years ago. I went into hospital for a recently discovered cancer to be removed. On that day there was only one surgical route to take and to paraphrase the glorious Spice Girls, "Two became One". 48 years old is quite an age for a Testicular Cancer diagnosis so don't get blasé at any point fellas, keep checking for lumps, bumps and general oddness, and don't hold back from getting a second opinion...ideally from an expert.

Mental Health is the next thing I would like to encourage all to take a moment to consider. I had a bit of a nervous breakdown a couple of years ago. I was absolutely blind-sided by the explosive moment a build up of various mental stresses and strains finally blew my emotional stack. Talking with my friends and family candidly was an immense help to me, and this was thanks to their own awareness of what Mental Health means, and their openness to listen, to help, and to care. It is good to talk.

My chosen charity this year, if you would like to support, is described below. It's relevant to half of my story, and for obvious reasons, I was drawn to their name.

The Robin Cancer Trust is the UK's germ cell cancer community - our mission is to stop young adults dying from germ cell cancer.

Please donate what you can to help fund our online cancer awareness campaigns, life-saving educational talks, and support services for individuals and families affected by germ cell cancer.