EIGHT employees of Stourport-based Conveyor Units are joining thousands of men worldwide to raise awareness of prostate and testicular cancer.

For the 30 days of November - or Movember - the team are growing moustaches to raise cash for the cause.

Over the past 10 years Movember has raised £184 million and participation is said to be doubling, year on year. In 2011, more than 854,000 people got on board the campaign.

The leader of Sandy Lane-based Conveyor Units’ Movember team, Simon Lucock, said he had been inspired to form the group as it was a subject close to his heart, having had a close family member diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Mr Lucock said: “More than one in three people will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime in the UK - it is something which touches everyone.

“We all know someone who has been affected by it so anything which helps to change attitudes and habits relating to men’s health and raises awareness about early detection and, ultimately, reduces the number of preventable deaths has to be a good thing and it’s a lot more fun than a fun run.”

The members, or "Mo Bros” as they are known, whose ages range from 23 to 46, hope to raise more than £1,000 by sprouting their moustaches. Each has registered at movember.com and each had a clean shaven face on November 1.

Their progress can be monitored at movember.com/team/690061/page/1. Funds raised in the UK are directed to programmes run directly by Movember and its men’s health partners, Prostate Cancer UK and the Institute of Cancer Research.