AXA Isle of Man staff have raised ?364,43 by growing moustaches during the month of Movember (formerly known as November) in a bid to raise funds and awareness for men’s health.

At the start of Movember the male staff, known as Mo-bros, were clean shaven, but up until Friday (November 28) were growing and grooming their moustaches to raise as much money and awareness as possible for The Prostate Cancer Charity.

The event culminated on Friday with staff being encouraged to dig deeper by being given the opportunity to design a moustache for the willing participants to sport.

This included dyeing, bejewelling and shaping it into any weird and wonderful design. The group was also cheered on and supported by a number of Mo-sisters, who also adorned facial hair for the event.

Managing Director of AXA Isle of Man, Mike Foy, said: ‘Every year 35,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. It is now the most common cancer diagnosed in men with at least one man dying every hour from the disease. We are delighted to be able to show our support and raise funds for such an important charity.’

Movember aims to raise funds for The Prostate Cancer Charity, change the way men think about, discuss and treat their own health issues and generate awareness for men’s health issues, specifically prostate cancer and depression in men.

The Prostate Cancer Charity, set up in 1996, has played a key role in raising both public awareness of the disease and political debate about services and support. The charity is the largest and most comprehensive of the charities in the UK focused specifically on prostate cancer.

It aims to provide hope for tomorrow through the research it funds - and practical support for today through their extensive - and growing information services. All funds raised by Movember in the UK stay in the UK and go directly to The Prostate Cancer Charity.