Tenovus, one of Wales’ leading cancer charities has had great success on Barry Island with its ‘Here Comes the Sun’ campaign, aiming to highlight the importance of staying sun safe this summer.
Sun safety advisors have been on hand at the busiest days on the Island to provide sun advice and free sachets of sun cream to visitors who drop in to see them.
One of those visitors was Vale MP Alun Cairns, who took the sun care survey and found that he had to step up his sunny day skincare routine.
Mr Cairns said, “I am glad to have visited the van to find out more about being safe in the sun. It was shocking to discover how just one incidence of sunburn can radically increase the chance of skin cancer years later. I have burnt twice within the past couple of years.
I will certainly be applying cream more regularly and checking the UVA star rating on the sun cream bottle before I buy.”
Commenting on the success of the ‘Here Comes the Sun’ campaign, the Vale MP said, “It’s great that Tenovus are taking action to prevent cancer as well as provdidng research and support. I saw the sun safety advisors give out quite a few free sachets of sun cream and some really useful advice to those who, like me, could benefit from changing their behaviour in sunny weather.”
Maura Matthews, Health and Wellbeing Manager at Tenovus Cancer Care, is encouraging visitors to make sure they’re well protected from the sun this season. “With the heat of summer, Tenovus Cancer Care has been at Barry Island giving out free sun cream and having conversations with the public about how to protect themselves in the sun.
“Skin cancer rates have quadrupled in the last 40 years and have increased more than any other type of cancer. Even though people know they should use sun cream they often leave it too late and get sunburnt. Applying plenty of sun cream, staying out of the sun between 11am-3pm and sitting in the shade, are just some ways of staying safe.”