Albion in the Community working with NHS to ensure local people stay safe in the sun
Albion in the Community (AITC) has teamed up with the local NHS to encourage people to check themselves for changes to moles that could point towards skin cancer.
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.
And to kick things off AITC’s Speak Up Against Cancer will be at the city’s Take Part Festival on 23 June, where the charity’s football coaches will be running free football activities throughout the day. AITC’s Speak Up Against Cancer team will be joined at Take Part by a number of 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; the team has all volunteered to be on hand to offer on-the-spot mole checks and advice.
Sue Brown, who heads up Speak Up Against Cancer for AITC, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for local people to get any moles they are worried about checked out by a professional and hear important messages about skin cancer and how to stay safe in the sun.”
Claudia DeGiovanni added: “We are delighted to be part of this collaboration to promote healthy skin. Protecting your skin with sun screens and appropriate clothing can help prevent sun damage and skin cancer.”
The Speak Up Against Cancer team will be at Take Part at The Level in Brighton throughout the day, but anyone interested in having a mole looked at should head down between 1.30pm and 3.30pm.
Robyn Payne, the Macmillan nurse joining AITC at the event, said: “We are really pleased to support this joint working between community and the local hospital trust and we want people to be more aware of the changes to look for that might be a sign of skin cancer.”
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.