Bedford School wins Movember lifetime achievement award

Since 2010, the Bedford School community has raised over £150,000 in support of Movember. Importantly, during the campaign each November boys also raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer and men's suicide.

The Movember campaign has become an annual tradition at Bedford School, with hundreds of boys and staff doing their bit for the cause every year. At the helm of the campaign are a rather hairy group of around 80 Upper Sixth Form boys, affectionately known as the MoBros, and hairy because of the moustaches grown during the campaign. The ‘tache’ is now synonymous with the charity and is a tangible symbol of the campaign, helping to promote awareness.

The annual ‘Mo’ Awards are the charity’s way of saying ‘thank you’ and recognise the top fundraisers each year. Over 350 fundraisers gathered for this year’s ceremony to celebrate a hugely successful 2023 campaign. The night was hosted by Welsh television presenter, Movember ambassador and voice of an angel, Matt Johnson, who also presented the awards.

‘Services to the Mo’ was awarded to Bedford School for showing ultimate dedication to the Mo.

Bedford School is no stranger to the Mo Awards, having been award winners in previous years. The MoBros of 2021 received a special recognition trophy for raising over £25,000 and, in 2020, ‘MoSista’, Mrs Susie Spyropoulos, scooped the MoSista award for her dedication going back to 2010, when the school first joined the campaign.

This time it was Mrs Vicky Marriott, Master in Charge of Charities at Bedford School who received the award on behalf of every individual who has engaged with the school’s Movember campaigns since the start.

Mrs Marriott explained, “It’s a real accolade to be recognised nationally for the last thirteen years of Movember campaigning. I couldn’t be prouder of everything the MoBros and the Bedford School community have achieved during this time, and it was a real honour to be accepting the award on behalf of everyone. I was overwhelmed with the range of people who came to congratulate us, not only from schools and universities, but also from businesses who have followed our campaigns each year.”

The charity remarked, “Everyone who took part in Movember in 2023 should hold their heads up high and walk tall – you are the people that will push the dial for the men’s health movement.”

Mrs Marriott went on to say, “The charity does a phenomenal amount in the fields of men’s physical and mental health, and it’s a real privilege for me to feel that I can help make some sort of contribution towards that. I love the buzz and energy of getting a group of students together, uniting them outside the classroom with a common goal of ‘having fun whilst doing good’ and supporting them in turning ideas into reality. Every year we raise the bar in terms of our hopes and expectations, and I am always astounded with what we achieve.”

“Boys can go into the world beyond Bedford armed with skills for life but also an understanding of how powerful ‘giving back’ can be.”