Raise funds for skin cancer detection service by hosting a builder's tea event and get a brew on

Action Cancer is calling all local construction and property companies in Northern Ireland to choose one Friday morning during July or August to host a Builders’ Tea and raise awareness of the importance of sun safety.

Following on from Men’s Health Awareness Week (June 12-18), Action Cancer has joined forces with local property construction company, Barwood Construction, to launch the new campaign aimed at construction-based workers who are most at risk from skin cancers working outdoors.

Local tea company, Thompson’s Tea, are supporting the campaign by supplying those who take part with a tea chest to enjoy lots of good brews at their Builders’ Tea event.

Construction companies are being encouraged to raise money towards Action Cancer’s brand new skin cancer detection service.

This service allows anyone aged 18 or over with a worrying mole or lesion to visit Senior Skin Cancer Specialist Nurses onboard the Big Bus (supported by SuperValu and Centra) or at Action Cancer House.

If every company that gets involved helps achieve a combined target of £5000, this will allow the charity to offer 40 local people a skin cancer detection appointment.

The campaign also seeks to educate men and women who work in the construction industry to be aware of the need to protect their skin by wearing factor 30 (or above) sunscreen on a daily basis and to be vigilant of any changes to moles or lesions.

In Northern Ireland seven people are diagnosed with skin cancer every day.

Many skin cancers could be prevented by following sun safety protection advice.

Barry Latewood, owner of Barwood Construction, said: “At Barwood our staff are outside working on building sites all year round. We really need to encourage our employees that as well as putting on their hard hats, hi-vis and boots, they need to apply their sunscreen too as part of their daily routines. It’s easy to forget but absolutely vital to lessen chances of getting skin cancers. We are excited about holding our Builders’ Tea event in July – raising funds for this excellent new cancer skin detection service Action Cancer has recently launched.”

Jamie Thompson, marketing manager of Thompson’s Tea, said: ‘We are delighted to be able to support this very worthwhile campaign from Action Cancer. Skin health is a very important topic and an issue that affects us all. We would encourage everyone, as we have done with our colleagues here in Belfast, to seek out Action Cancer if you have any skin health worries. Anything we can do as a local business to support this early detection skin cancer service is vital, and so we loved the idea of getting builders together to host a tea morning to help raise money for this great cause. Every business taking part in this campaign and hosting a tea morning will receive a special Thompson’s Tea package.”

To register to take part and get your free “Host a Builders’ Tea pack” or to find out more email [email protected].

As well as the skin cancer detection service, Action Cancer offers a range of other services including health checks, breast screening, therapeutic support services and a Big Bus mobile detection unit which travels to 200 locations throughout Northern Ireland every year.

To find out more about Action Cancer’s services visit actioncancer.org.