In April we were delighted to announce that our Charity of the Year, as voted for by you, was Cancer Research UK.

Over the coming year we hope to use our internal fundraising platform to assist Cancer Research UK. We will also be raising awareness of some of the important work the charity is doing and sharing information and resources to help keep you safe and healthy.

This month we are highlighting the importance of Sun Safety.

For colleagues who spend a lot of time working outdoors, it is important to stay protected from the sun, particularly between 11am and 3pm.

Did you know – the sun’s UV rays are strongest when your shadow is shorter than you!

Too much ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or sunbeds can damage DNA in your skin cells and cause skin cancer. In the UK almost 9 in 10 cases of melanoma skin cancer could be prevented by staying safe in the sun and avoiding sunbeds.

The best way to stay safe in the sun and protect your skin is to use shade, clothing and sunscreen. Shade and clothing are better than sunscreen at protecting your skin.

Sunscreen shouldn’t be used to spend longer in the sun but can be useful for protecting the parts of skin not covered by clothing or shade.

Here are some Sun Safety tips:

• Spending time in the shade, especially between 11am and 3pm in the UK.
• Covering up with clothes, a wide-brimmed hat and UV protection sunglasses.
• And using a sunscreen with at least SPF15 and 4 or 5 stars. Use it generously, reapply regularly and use together with shade and clothing.

We have created a poster with some useful infographics – please print and display around your workplaces. You can find the poster in the download section of the UK News website:  Staying safe in the sun poster (805 downloads)