Since the rise of Movember - men growing moustaches for charity in November - in the late Nineties, we're more than used to seeing facial fuzz that's inspired by good causes.

Now, a new campaign to encourage men to grow sideburns in March is hoping to shine a bigger light on male suicide.

Adam Torr, 34, from east London is asking men to grown mutton chops as part of the 'Sides Of March' campaign, which Torr started after his friend, Jeshan 'Jesh' Ahmed, committed suicide in January this year aged 36.

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Mutton chops for March: Adam Torr, 34, from east London, started 'The Sides Of March' campaign after his friend Jeshan 'Jesh' Ahmed committed suicide in January this year

Adam Torr, left, pictured with his friend Jesh Ahmed at Torr's wedding: Adam said himself and his group of friends, who had known Jesh since university, had no idea he was struggling with mental health issues

The campaign borrows most its name from Ides Of March, the day Julius Caesar is said to have been assassinated, and ask men to grow facial hair in a bid to 'start a conversation' about suicide amongst men.

Founder Torr told FEMAIL: 'We were really stunned and it was a big shock for us [as a group of friends]. We had no idea our friend was struggling in any way.'

Adam had the help of his group of friends, who were also close to Jesh, to start out the idea with friends and family chipping in to help them pay for a website.

Their group of around 30 friends had no idea that Jesh, who Adam met at university, was in such a dark place.

Conversation starter: Other Sides of March organisers (left, Chi Anyanwu, right, Tom Elvin) and friends of Adam's post their sideburn selfies in support of the cause

The campaign isn't just in honour of Jesh, who died at 36, but to help to raise the issue as a talking point, says one of the organisers Pos Apostolou, pictured with his growing sideburns above

Friends of Jesh's have come on board to help spread the sideburn word. Pictured left, Scott Bradley, and right, Fiston Manuella

The idea is for men to bring back sideburns and donate to the campaign or even just by raising awareness.

Adam, who works in recruitment, said: 'I have gone all out, I work a lot with clients so it sparks a conversation, "Why have you got those big sideburns?"

'It's right there on your face, it's not something you can hide. Then I can tell them about the campaign.'

The campaign isn't just in honour of Jesh, a procurement officer, but to help to raise the issue as a talking point. But Adam said: 'It's only when something like this happens so close, you realise how big an issue this is.

'There's a social stigma around men talking about their feelings.

'Although donating is encouraged, taking part to raise awareness is 'just as important.'

In memory of: Jesh committed suicide in January and the campaign has so far raised more than £4,000 for the male suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)

THE IDEA BEHIND THE NAME The Ides of March is a Roman term now famous for describing the period when Julius Caesar was assassinated. It’s also a term marking the first full moon of the old Latin calendar year, during the modern day month of March. Despite the common misconception that most suicides occur during the winter months research and statistics show that people are more likely to commit suicide in the spring months from March to May. The campaign chose the name The Sides of March as both a play on words and the pertinent timing of the year. Advertisement

Noting Prince William's recent work on a visit to St Thomas hospital to meet with mental health patients and campaigners to highlight suicide prevention, Adam said: 'It'd be great if he grew a pair of sideburns.'

According to the male suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), there were 6,109 probable deaths by suicide in the UK in 2014 of which 76 per cent, or 4,623 - an average of 12 per day - were male.

Adam and the rest of the organisers are working to put the taboo subject on the map in the same way Movember did with prostate cancer when it first launched in 1999.

Funds raised by the Just Giving page will go straight to CALM and so far they have raised nearly £5,000 of the £10,000 target.

They've achieved that in only the last five weeks but Adam hopes it can grow much bigger.

The Just Giving page states: 'In order to achieve official sideburn status, facial hair cannot be connected below the mouth.

'However, a moustache connection is permitted and, in certain cases, positively encouraged just like Ambrose Burnside’s originals.'