GAA & HSE making Mid West Cúl Camps SunSmart for kids

The HSE’s National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) and Healthy Ireland have once again teamed up with the GAA and Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps in the Mid West and across Ireland to support the Healthy Ireland SunSmart campaign and encourage everyone to protect their skin and stay safe in the sun this summer.

Bernadette Mullins, Senior Health Promotion and Improvement Officer for Cancer Prevention with HSE Mid West has already been busy over the past week, roving across all three counties in the Mid West to Cúl Camps at Ballybrown GAA, Limerick; Cooraclare GAA, Clare; and Nenagh Éire Óg GAA, Tipperary; to encourage kids and organisers alike to protect their skin when outdoors. Cúl Camps will continue locally and nationwide through the summer, focused on educating children, coaches, volunteers and families on the importance of being SunSmart while enjoying outdoor activities and sport.

With increasing trends in skin cancer having surpassed 11,000 cases annually, SunSmart encourages everyone to enjoy the outdoors safely by following the campaign’s simple ‘Five Ss’ Guidance:

• Slip on clothing that covers the skin
• Slop on broad spectrum sunscreen
• Slap on a wide-brimmed hat
• Seek shade, especially between 11am and 3pm
• Slide on sunglasses to protect the eyes

Even on cloudy days, harmful UV rays can still damage skin, making daily sun protection essential throughout the summer months.

Bernadette Mullins, Senior Health Promotion and Improvement Officer for Cancer Prevention with HSE Mid West says,

Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD: praised SunSmart for helping to protect children’s skin from harmful UV rays and sunburn, while also reducing long‑term health risks and helping them adopt health habits that will help them enjoy support throughout life.

Uachtarán CLG Jarlath Burns said that for the GAA, being SunSmart has become just as important as wearing a gumshield for football and a helmet for hurling and camogie: “By instilling this message among players when they are young, we can help them build a healthy habit to protect themselves long into the future."

Maria McEnery, Cancer Prevention Officer, HSE’s NCCP adds “We know that establishing good sun protection habits early on is important, as behaviours learned at a young age are more likely to be adopted for life. We encourage everyone to protect their skin and enjoy the outdoors by following the simple Healthy Ireland SunSmart ‘Five Ss’.”

For information on how to protect yourself and your family, visit the SunSmart hub at www.hse.ie/sunsmart and check out #SunSmart on social media.