[{"text_idx": "#000029", "text": "Second year Cardiff University BSc Business Management student Tom Matthews has recently been recognised for his incredible fundraising work for Movember in which he managed to raise over \u00a34,000 for the men\u2019s health charity."}, {"text_idx": "#000030", "text": "As a Movember ambassador, Tom not only helped recruit and guide other students through the campaign, but undertook the personal challenge of cycling 738km during the month of November."}, {"text_idx": "#000032", "text": "Speaking about his reasons for campaigning, Tom explained that losing one of his friends to suicide last year made him feel an even greater responsibility to encourage conversations around male mental health."}, {"text_idx": "#000033", "text": "\u201cThe day before I moved back home in June last year, one of my friends passed away. He took his own life, and although I was already the ambassador at that point, after he passed away, I felt I had a serious responsibility and opportunity to help not just save lives, but change people\u2019s lives as well,\u201d he said."}, {"text_idx": "#000041", "text": "As for encouraging others to get involved, Tom stresses that both men and women can get stuck in to campaigning, with one easy way being simply growing a moustache (or wearing a fake one for the ladies)."}, {"text_idx": "#000042", "text": "\u201cAs a man, grow moustache because it\u2019s such a simple thing. Even if you have a terrible moustache people go \u2018oh you\u2019ve got a terrible moustache\u2019 and that\u2019s great because that\u2019s how conversations start and you can talk about things,\u201d he explains."}, {"text_idx": "#000043", "text": "\u201cAt the end of the day, everyone\u2019s affected by the issues. If a man gets prostate or testicular cancer it affects a woman \u2013 it\u2019s very much a society thing rather than just a man thing.\u201d"}, {"text_idx": "#000044", "text": "As for the future, Tom\u2019s fundraising days are far from over as he plans to continue his role as Movember ambassador for this coming year."}, {"text_idx": "#000045", "text": "While undertaking a challenge as intense as 2020\u2019s may not be something he does annually, as for the regular campaigning he said: \u201cI will definitely continue to do it because it\u2019s just such a great cause,\u201d"}]