Grantham man takes Movember to the next level with eye-catching designs and ukulele videos
When Olie Hanson first started growing his moustache for Movember, he thought it would be “a bit of a laugh”.
Ten years on, the former King’s School pupil has now raised more than £3,000 for charity and is on a mission to raise awareness about male mental health.
Since 2004, the Movember Foundation charity has run Movember events to raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer and depression.
Determined to ‘do his bit’ Olie, who plays for the Kesteven Rugby Club, started recording regular videos of him singing and playing the ukulele throughout November while growing his moustache in a series of eye-catching designs.
His ‘Uke-A-Daily’ for Movember Facebook page currently has over 300 likes and has reached more than 15,000 people so far this month alone.
We spoke to 35-year-old Olie this week as he prepared to upload his latest video featuring his four-month-old daughter, Lola.
How did you first become involved in Movember?
While travelling, my wife and I decided to move to the outback in Australia to work in a remote hotel. When we arrived at this small town we noticed that everyone had a moustache. I had never heard of Movember so I just thought that was how things were in the outback. When we got back home, I grew my first moustache the following November.
How has it progressed each year?
My family lost my cousin to depression seven years ago and it was around that time that I wanted to do something. That November we were having a bit of fun for Movember at work. We had a team of people with beards and a team of people with moustaches and the competition was to see who could raise the most money. I recorded my own version of ‘It’s All About The Bass’ on the ukulele that my wife had bought me for my birthday but renamed it ‘All About The Mo’ and I grew my moustache from my top lip to my all the way down my body. That video catapulted the moustache team to victory. The following year I didn’t do anything quite as strange but people seemed a bit disappointed so the year after I recorded a whole range of songs on my ukulele with songs that had been reworded to be about moustaches. I wanted to do something a bit different last year but also something that would give the chance to give a more serious message if needed. I decided to record a song on the uke every day for the whole month and I grew a moustache that went all the way around my head.
It sounds fun but it must be hard work too?
It can be. I have to be really careful with my own mental health as some nights things simply don’t go how I want them too. The three-minute video that gets posted each morning can sometimes take over two hours to do.
What is most rewarding?
It has got to be the messages that I receive from friends, and even strangers. People have messaged me to tell me that my videos ‘could potentially save a life’. I’ve suffered with mental health issues on and off for around eight years. I have had a fantastic support network but not everyone you open up to will be helpful. I’ve been told to ‘man up’ and ‘snap out of it’ before.
Why did you want to get involved with Movember?
There is still a stigma attached to mental health. My hope is that people watching my videos get a bit of a giggle and get a bit more of an understanding of mental health.
How much have you raised so far this month?
I’ve raised just over £400 so far but I’m well aware that it’s a marathon and not a sprint. There are a lot of people that are following, sharing and liking the posts.
To donate, visit: mobro.co/oliehanson. To watch Olie’s videos, visit the ‘Uke-A-Daily For Movember’ Facebook page.