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Care in the Sun Campaign Urges Parents to Protect their Children At Sun Awareness Week Launch
By Derval Keenan, 6/2/2004 3:23:31 PM
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The Northern Ireland Care in the Sun Group (NIMSIG), marked the launch of national Sun Awareness Week today at Seaview Primary School in Belfast with the help of UTVs Frank Mitchell.
Pupils treated guests at the event to a special Weather Watchers play, which demonstrated the dangers of sun in Northern Ireland and in the rest of the world.
Sun Awareness Week, which is co-ordinated by the Ulster Cancer Foundation (UCF), highlights the risks of sun exposure such as skin cancer, which is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in Northern Ireland. Melanoma, is the most serious form of skin cancer and it tends to occur in younger people compared with other skin cancers and the theme of this years campaign is Sun Awareness for Children and Young People.
Sandra Gordon, Melanoma Strategy Co-ordinator, UCF explained at the event, Our Weather Watchers play explains the importance of covering up in the sun in a fun and easy to understand manner. Malignant melanoma rates have risen remarkably in Northern Ireland over the past 25 years from an average of 48 cases per year in the mid 70s to 180 cases per year at present and over exposure to the sun is the main cause of most skin cancers, including melanoma. We want children to enjoy the outdoors, but are encouraging them to slip on a T-Shirt and hat and use a high factor broadband sunscreen before going out in the sun.
The launch also features the Living Willows for Shade Project which is a New Opportunities Fund (NOF) programme designed to support partnership working to highlight the issue of Care in the Sun for pre school and primary school children. Living willow structures provide school children with areas of shade for play or outside class-work. The programme seeks to stimulate and support schools in their development of Care in the Sun policies, raising awareness of sun protection issues within the school and beyond into the community. It also raises the profile of local environmental issues lending schools the opportunity to become involved in an ecological project.
A total of 48 schools in the areas covered by the NHSSB and EHSSB will have the opportunity to participate. The project management group which has selected schools to work on the initiative include representatives from New Opportunities Fund, Ulster Cancer Foundation, Green Park Healthcare Trust, Homefirst Community Trust, Conservation Volunteer NI, Eastern Health and Social Services Board and Northern Health and Social Services Board. The initiative includes schools in areas of need, a range of school sizes, locations and management types, a balance of primary, nursery, special schools and schools at different stages of development.
Ms Bell Principal, Seaview Primary School, said, We are very pleased to be involved in the Living Willows for shade project, the children are delighted with their willow structure and parents can be reassured that the children have an area of shade where they can play safely during break and lunchtimes. It has also been a useful learning exercise for all of us on sun awareness all the staff have learnt a lot about safety in the sun.
The target group of young adults is also high on the agenda at the Sun Awareness launch. Graphic Design students from the Upper Bann Institute of Further and Higher Education have participated in a major project to create new images to promote the sun awareness/skin cancer prevention message.
The following are handy tips from UCF for safety in the sun:
· Wear T-shirts and loose, light weight clothing in a close woven material.
· Hats with broad brims or legionnaire types are best but more importantly make sure the hat is liked and will be worn.
· Avoid the sun when it is at its strongest play in the shade between 11am and 3pm.
· Wear sunglasses with UV protection and that carry a recognised safety standard mark.
· Supply plenty of drinks to avoid dehydration.
· Apply a broad-spectrum, high protection sunscreen to exposed skin.
- SPF 15 or higher to protect against UVB;
- Star rating 3 or more to protect against UVA;
- Read the instructions;
- Apply 30 minutes before going into the sun;
- Apply generously and avoid missing patches;
- Reapply frequently.
Always use sunscreen along with the other protective measures and do not use sunscreen to extend the amount of time you spend in the sun.
-ENDS-
For further information, please contact Sandra Gordon, Melanoma Strategy Co-ordinator, UCF on Tel: 07787 563617 or Nicola Smyth, PR Manager, UCF on
Tel: 028 9066 3281 or mobile: 07703 321643
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