Children from schools across Brighton & Hove have designed posters to urge other children to ‘slap on a hat’, ‘slop on’ sun cream and ‘seek shade’ as part of a campaign to stay safe in the sun.
The posters are the result of a primary school design competition and aim to appeal to young children with messages such as ‘sip water’ and ‘slip on some protective clothing’.
The posters will be on show in leisure centres, nurseries and Children’s Centres as part of a campaign to protect children from the damaging effects of the sun.
The campaign is called Staying safe in the Sun and complements the Speak Up Against Skin Cancer initiative. Melanoma – a skin cancer linked to sun exposure – is predicted to rise by around a third in the next 15 years, and Brighton and Hove is already in the worst 10% of areas affected so it’s worth taking precautions.
The rate is particularly high among the city’s female population, although rates are above average across the board.
Council staff and Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club’s charitable arm Albion in the Community have visited schools to press home the importance of taking care in the sun. A team from the council has also visited every local sun bed establishment to make sure they are meeting safety guidelines and a website www.speakupagainstcancer.org has been launched to tell people how best to stay safe in the sun.
Dr Peter Wilkinson, Deputy Director of Public Health in Brighton and Hove, stressed how important it is to stay safe in the sun.
He said: “We want everyone to enjoy the sunny weather safely. Sunburn is unpleasant and painful and increases the risk of developing skin cancers and of ageing prematurely. It’s important to remember to look after yourself and others who are at risk from the sun, including infants and children.”
“These bright and fun posters by our local children carry a simple message: slap on a hat, slop on sun cream, slide on sunglasses and seek shade. This is especially important when the sun is at its most powerful in the middle of the day.”
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