Australian demands end charity's Movember link

Teachers at Taradale High School, Napier, during last year's Movember. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

A cancer charity will no longer be involved in Movember after what it calls unacceptable interference from the Australian-based company which runs the annual fundraising event.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand has received $3 million from over the past two years but now says it is not prepared to put up with the demands of the organisers.

The Movember event involves men being sponsored to grow a moustache during the month of November.

The Foundation said the Movember organisation had demanded to be involved in approving how and when donations might be used in New Zealand and this was "not acceptable".

Prostate Cancer Foundation president Barry Young said: "We had a number of discussions with Movember about this but were told that unless we spent the money in a timeframe approved by them, and on projects approved by them, then we would not be the beneficiary of any further Movember campaigns in New Zealand.

"We feel there is an important principle at stake. The money was raised in New Zealand for New Zealanders and how and when it is used must be decided by the New Zealand charitable organisation to which it was donated, without having to seek the approval of an overseas fund raising agency."

He said negotiations broke down on this point and the foundation was told it would no longer be the beneficiary of Movember fundraising efforts in New Zealand.

- NZ HERALD STAFF