Employees from FirstGroup have supported the Movember campaign by raising more than £1,500 for Prostate Cancer UK.
Throughout November, the company’s bus and rail teams ditched their razors and encouraged customers to do the same.
Prostate Cancer UK is the main beneficiary of The Movember Foundation and is FirstGroup’s employee-voted Charity of Choice partner.
Many of the First Bus teams chose to ‘be brave and not shave’. In Yorkshire, bus drivers took the cause one step further by fitting vehicles with their very own ‘bus-taches.’
FirstGroup’s regional employee directors collectively embraced facial hair for the duration of the month. Group Employee Director Mick Barker said: “Our partnership with Prostate Cancer UK isn’t just about raising much needed funds, it’s also about raising awareness, something I hope my colleagues and I have achieved over the last month.”
In Sheffield, train driver Josh Parker surprised passengers on the TransPennine Express, arriving at the station in full wizard hat and beard.
Kate Broome, group director of corporate responsibility, said: “We’re always excited to see our teams getting involved in fundraising and this year’s Movember was no exception. It’s a fun way to send out a very serious message.
“Together with our Charity of Choice Partner, Prostate Cancer UK, we’re planning a whole range of fundraising activities for next year with one overall goal: to prevent more men dying from prostate cancer.”
James Beeby, director of fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “I want to thank all the staff at FirstGroup for their ongoing support, especially those who grew a moustache this Movember. The bus-staches have not only raised money but also vital awareness that has hopefully got men talking about their health.
“The Movember Foundation addresses some of the biggest health issues faced by men – one being prostate cancer, which currently affects 1 in 8 men and kills 10,000 men every year in the UK. It is with the help from organizations such as FirstGroup that we can continue to tackle these shocking statistics and stop prostate cancer being a killer.”
