Mech Eng FC raise hundreds with Movember 6 a side tournament
5 December 2023
Sunday 26th saw a whole host of teams from the university get involved with a 6 a side football tournament in aid of Movember. The day was organised by Alex Crawford and Henry Dalton, members of the intramural football team Mech Eng FC, they wanted to create something fun for university teams to get involved with. The event gained great traction on social media, generating a massive turnout at Cochrane Park throughout the day. With Movember Newcastle providing some freebies and Redbull coming down to energise everyone throughout the day, it was set to be a success!
The event started at 3pm, with the teams being split into three groups of four and taking part in a series of 20-minute games within their allocated groups. The knockout games then proceeded at 6pm onwards.
With the Mech Eng FC putting the wheels in motion back in October, its safe to say that their plan came to life. With twelve teams taking part, ranging from Newcastle University Hockey club to Medics Rugby, there was plenty of healthy competition set to take place on the day.
Alex Crawford (left), one of the organisers and Mech Eng FC Members, concluded
“Henry and I are eager to support and positively change the stigma around men’s mental and physical health which is what lead us to find ways to raise more money for Movember. With Movember coming up fast, we were able to utilise our contacts with friends, club captains and societies across the University to make a big impact. It was a momentous day with everyone coming together from across the University. There was a crazy amount of support, enjoyment and fundraising, all for a great cause. It was an absolute blast and we want to say thank you to everyone involved and those who came down to cheer the teams on. We have already had thoughts about next year and how we can raise more money for Movember!”
Henry Dalton (right), also one of the organisers and Mech Eng members, told us how the idea came to fruition:
"We wanted to make Movember this year one to remember and make it a priority for us personally and as a team. We had an abundance of ideas, some a bit more unrealistic than others, but nevertheless, the intent was clear. The idea for a 6-a-side tournament seemed far-fetched at first, but thanks to the university sports team making our lives very easy, it was just a matter of getting out the word! We hope this is the start of a new date in the university calendar to raise money for a great cause, Movember, for now and in the future"
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Fundraising efforts and hard work like this don’t go unnoticed by the university, and if anything should be celebrated the most. Intramural sport officer and NCL staff member Tom Brearley praised the boys on their success:
“It was really nice to see a combination of Intramural Sport Teams, BUCS Clubs, Societies and Staff from different avenues of Newcastle University coming together to compete in such a well spirited tournament. It was truly amazing to see how Newcastle University as a community can come together and unite for a common cause. It was a tremendous effort for such a good cause, well done lads!
We are all very proud of those behind driving this amazing fundraising effort and it as brilliant to see so many students getting involved and stuck in for such a good cause. We can’t wait to see what fundraising plans are up next for Mech Eng FC and other teams at the university!
