Fun out of the sun with SunBusters grants |
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| Posted by editor (editor) on Jan 21 2009 |
| 2009 >> |
Seven Gold Coast schools and early childhood services will share in almost $9,500 in Queensland Health SUNBusters grants to provide better sun protection for children, State Member for Southport Peter Lawlor said today.
Mr Lawlor said the grants were awarded to:
· Nerang State School P&C Association: $2,500 for a permanent steel roof structure over an outdoor area newly-remodelled by past students;
· C&K Kindergarten Jimboomba: $595 for a portable marque for children’s activities and family events and a replacement fixed retractable awning;
· Miami Community Childcare Centre: $935 for a shade sail to extend an outdoor play area;
· Broadbeach Waters Kindergarten and Preschool Association: $1,963 for a large cantilevered swinging umbrella over a children’s play area;
· Martin Street Community Childcare Centre, Nerang: $698 for repairs to two sun sails and a new sun sail for a previously unprotected play area;
· Southport Catholic Parish Child Care Centre, Ashmore: $1,675 for new shade sails for outdoor play and family events;
· St Mary’s Catholic Child Care Centre: $1,100 to repair existing shade sails and install a new shade sail over a children’s play area;
"Providing shade for children while they play is an important responsibility for early childhood facilities, schools and other community groups that cater for children,” Mr Lawlor said.
"The SUNBusters grants help schools and early childhood centres to purchase high quality fixed or portable shade structures.”
Mr Lawlor said everyone should adopt sun smart behaviours to limit their exposure to the sun and help prevent skin cancer later in life.
“I encourage all Gold Coast and Hinterland residents to protect themselves and their families from the sun, especially over this holiday period,” he said.
“Skin cancer can kill and it is recognised that Queensland has the highest incidence of skin cancer and invasive melanoma in the world.
“Two out of three Queenslanders will develop skin cancer in their lifetime and every year more than 7000 cases of melanoma are reported in Australia.
“Skin cancer can be prevented if children are adequately protected from UV radiation and are encouraged to learn sun smart behaviours early in their lives.
“Children are more exposed to the sun than many other age groups. It is estimated that up to 80 per cent of a person’s lifetime exposure to UV is received before the age of 21. Frequent sun exposure and sunburn in childhood sets the stage for high rates of melanoma later in life.
“Many early childhood facilities have a sun safe policy, which could mean there are measures such as a ‘no hat, no play’ rule, provision of shade structures and/or varied breaks to limit the amount of time children spend in the sun between 10.00am and 3.00pm.
“These measures combined with regular application of sun screen and the use of suitable hats, which shade the neck, shoulders and ears from the sun, will help prevent skin cancer later in life.”
Mr Lawlor said during 2008 Queensland Health’s Gold Coast Population Health Unit had worked with early childhood facilities, schools, other childhood settings and community organisations to develop and implement sun safe initiatives in line with the Queensland Skin Cancer Prevention Strategy.
More information on sun safety is available at: www.health.qld.gov.au and www.cancerqld.org.au
Last changed: [PUBLISHED_DATE] at 1:53 PM
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