Free mole checks on offer at football tournament
Albion in the Community (AITC) is once again teaming up with the local NHS to provide free mole checks after a similar offer was taken up by dozens of people.
More than 2,300 a year die from skin cancer in the UK, with around 15,400 new cases identified nationwide every 12 months. As with the majority of cancers, however, the chances of successful treatment increase if the skin cancer is identified early.
As part of AITC’s long-running Speak Up Against Cancer campaign the charity is working with NHS Brighton and Hove Clinical Commission Group (CCG) to raise awareness of the symptoms of skin cancer and promote sun safety.
The combined team was out in force at the recent Take Part Festival at The Level in Brighton, with more than 60 people stopping by the Speak Up Against Cancer stall to have moles examined by healthcare professionals.
Five people were identified as having potentially problematic moles – including one person who the team convinced to have a mole checked and said they would not have done so were it not for Speak Up Against Cancer’s presence at the free family festival.
The free checks carried out at Take Part were also the equivalent to around 600 minutes of GP time saved.
Inspired by the success of the that event, the Speak Up Against Cancer team will again link-up with local doctors and nurses, led by Brighton and Hove CCG’s Macmillan nurse Robyn Payne and consultant dermatologist Claudia DeGiovanni, from Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust – this time at a football tournament run by AITC at Preston Park on Thursday (26 July).
The tournament is for participants from AITC’s Premier League Kicks programme and the charity hopes parents of the players will take the chance to have their moles checked between watching their sons and daughters in action. It is also a good opportunity for players and coaches, who spend a lot of time outdoors, to get any moles checked.
Passers-by are also able to take advantage of the free mole checks and should head to the Speak Up Against Cancer stand between 1pm and 3pm.
Dr DeGiovanni was delighted to again be taking part. She said: “This is a great community initiative to encourage safety in the sun, reassure those with normal moles and encourage referral to dermatology for those with moles that need checking.”
AITC’s Speak Up Against Cancer team has delivered cancer messages face-to-face to more than 17,000 people in the last 12 months alone and this summer the charity will also be distributing free sun cream samples, information packs and UV reactive wristbands that tell the wearer when to apply protective cream.
For more information, visit: www.speakupagainstcancer.org.