Team UOP updates, highlights, Movember and more.
Hi!
Well, November seemed to arrive out of nowhere and brought a hive of activity with it! Movember took centre stage, clubs were running events left, right and centre, BUCS fixtures kept everyone busy, and somewhere along the way a few impressive moustaches appeared across campus. The energy this month has been brilliant and really shows what Team UOP can achieve when it comes together.
Movember has been the heartbeat of the month, bringing bring-a-boy sessions, quiz nights, charity fixtures, an Everest challenge, and even a full 24-hour run. The effort from every club has been incredible.
Here’s what’s in this month’s edition:
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Everything Movember
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Event Highlights & Challenges
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White Ribbon Day
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BUCS round-up
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Sports Scholar Success
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What’s coming up next
And just like that, we’ve made it to the end of the year! I want to say a massive well done to everyone for smashing the first term, from early-morning trainings to midnight events planning, you’ve earned every minute of the break ahead. Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, catching up on sleep, or simply enjoying not being in a lecture hall, I hope you have a brilliant rest and an even better New Year! See you next year!
Emma Loe
Team UOP Exec Widening Access Officer
Everything Movember
Movember isn’t just moustaches and miles, it’s a campaign that focuses on supporting men’s mental health and raising awareness of prostate cancer and testicular cancer. Across the month, Team UOP has been starting important conversations, sharing information, and breaking down stigma, alongside moving and fundraising.
We kicked things off on day one with the annual shave-down, where a few brave souls sacrificed their farcical hair and returned to carrying their ID around as proof of age. From then on, Team UOP did not stop.
So, what did we achieve? We've raised an incredible £13,710! And the biggest milestone of all, Team UOP has now raised over £100,000 for Movember since we first started fundraising! An incredible achievement that’s a testament to years of commitment, creativity, and community spirit.
Event Highlights
Bring a boy sessions
Bring-a-boy sessions were a big hit this month, with Cheer, Badminton and Netball all welcoming new participants eager to give their sports a go! Cheer alone saw roughly 45 people turn up!
"It was such a fun event with lots of positive feedback, and it was great to get everyone involved in what cheer is really about!" - Becky, Cheerleading President
Pub Quiz
Pub quizzes were non-stop, with several clubs collaborating to produce some epic evenings. Badminton teamed up with Women’s Football and raised over £150.
"The night was full of laughs, plenty of competitiveness, and – unsurprisingly – the Disney round stole the show. It was great to bring our two sports together and see everyone so determined to win." - Geethika, Badminton President
Battle of the Ball Games
Hockey, Volleyball, Taekwondo & Karate also joined forces, making for a memorable night filled with competition and questionable team names. Tennis’ Battle of the Ball Games returned with a bang, attracting around 110 people and raising over £570.
"It was an amazing turnout, and the evening went so well!" - Gala, Tennis RAG/Events Sec
Climbing Everest
There were also some serious challenges happening across the month: Climbing took on Everest and smashed it!
"Climbing Everest is a university-wide sporting event hosted by the climbing club. We invite loads of clubs and societies to take part in achieving the enormous goal of climbing. Last year, the goal was 8000m, this year we chose to go for the slightly ambitious 21,000 metres. After 16 different sports clubs and societies took part, we were at 20,000 metres with the climbing club final shift tipping us over to 22,000m (that’s 2200 ascents of the wall). The event raised £590, which, combined with individual fundraising, means that Climbing raised £2000 for Movember!!!" - Zak, Climbing President
Other Amazing Events
- A special shout-out to Rhys, Climbing VP, who ran 5km every single day in November - an outstanding achievement!
- Athletics also deserve some serious credit for their 24-hour run, battling through the wind, rain, and dark to reach an insane 937.35km and raising £248 in the process. Hopefully, everyone’s legs are still intact!
- The Silly Squash Open returned for its second year, involving some silly games and even sillier costumes and a lot of laughter.
- Football faced Futsal in a high-energy match that ended 4-2 to Football, drawing a crowd of 70 and raising around £250!
- And to round off Movember a swanky evening took place at One Eyed Dog, Masquerade night gave clubs the chance to reflect on everything they had achieved throughout November and celebrate each other’s successes in style.
It’s safe to say that there was something for everyone this month. A massive well done to all RAG/ Events Secs, along with committee members across every club, for managing to organise such fantastic events.
White Ribbon Day
On Tuesday 25 November, Team UOP marked White Ribbon Day, a campaign focused on raising awareness of and taking action to end violence against women and girls. Clubs across the university showed their support by starting conversations, helping to amplify an important message: that everyone has a role to play in creating a safer, more respectful community.
BUCS round-up
BUCS kept rolling on this month, rain or shine, our teams have battled the elements to bring home some impressive results! The racquet sports have taken charge this month, with at least one team from each club getting a win. Well done to Squash, Tennis, Table Tennis, and Badminton! Lacrosse Men’s 1s kept up their winning streak with a very satisfying 12-1 win over Southampton.
Sports Scholar Success
Our Sports Scholars have had a big first term, making their mark both in the UK and across Europe. Windsurfer Max Beaman battled storms and swell to land a spot in the gold fleet at the European Championships, taekwondo scholar Ella Dent smashed her way to a gold and silver at the British Students Championships, and badminton scholar Anupam Akolkar has been jetting between international tournaments. We’ve also had scholars heading into national trials, and even recent graduate Dan Mock has been flying the Portsmouth flag overseas, finishing 9th at the Gymnastics European League. Safe to say, they’re off to a pretty incredible start!
Small Wins
- Badminton held their open tournament, which included players from the university, local clubs and even people travelling in from outside of the country! There was something for everyone at every level!
- Climbing took part in SWUCCS Cardiff, where one of the women’s team scored another podium, scoring valuable league points (putting us above Southampton)!
- Equestrian managed to attend every single event held by a Team UOP club! And also managed to do a Movember-themed sober social of their own, where they decorated moustaches and spoke about the importance of mental health.
What’s next?
Yellow week for Sophie’s legacy kicks off in December. Sophie’s legacy is an incredible charity that supports families who have children in hospital and Team UOP has always shown amazing support. Throughout the week, we’ll be wearing yellow and hosting events to fundraise, including the legendary Sportos.
December also brings the start of the festive season, and our Reverse Advent Calendar is underway. This year we’re teaming up with The Lifehouse charity to support local people, and they are particularly in need of hygiene items. So, if you have spare toothpaste tubes, tampon boxes, or anything similar to donate, please drop them off at Ravelin reception. Non-perishable food is also always welcome so feel free to bring those along too!