Fun out of the sun with SUNBusters grants for South Burnett

Kumbia State School, Wondai Community Kindergarten and Proston Community Playgroup will build shade structures alongside their sporting areas thanks to the latest round of Queensland Health SUNBusters grants.

Health Minister Stephen Robertson said today the three South Burnett early childhood services are among 13 groups sharing $22,000 in grants from the Darling Downs Population Health Unit to help establish good sun protective practices.

“Providing shade for children while they play is an important responsibility for early childhood facilities, schools and sporting clubs that cater for children,” he said.

“The SUNBusters grants enable the purchase of high quality fixed or portable structures to provide that shade.

“All funding applications, of up to 50 per cent of the total cost of the structure, or to a maximum of $2,500 (excluding GST), were assessed on merit.”

• Kumbia State School will receive $2,200 to replace the fixed shade structure over its playground equipment and sand pit, which was destroyed in storms.

• Wondai Community Kindergarten will receive $792 to replace the shade sails over its cubby house and obstacle course.

• Proston Community Playgroup will receive $,1849 to construct a permanent shade structure over its play gym; providing 90 per cent protection against harmful ultraviolet rays.

“All Queenslanders are encouraged to lead an active lifestyle, but should take care to protect themselves from the sun when outdoors,” Mr Robertson said.

“Queensland has the highest incidence of skin cancer and invasive melanoma in the world and two out of three Queenslanders will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.

“Children are more exposed to the sun than many other age groups because it’s estimated 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.”

“Skin cancer could be prevented if children were adequately protected from UV radiation and were encouraged to learn sun smart behaviours early in their lives,” he said.

“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,” he said.

In 1994, the Darling Downs Population Health Unit pioneered the SUNBusters grants program in Queensland. Over the last 13 years, the unit has provided 212 grants to local schools, sporting clubs and community organisations, amounting to almost $135,000 in funding.

During 2007, Queensland Health’s Darling Downs Population Health Unit has been working 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.

Fact sheets on sun safety are available from the Queensland Health and Cancer Council Queensland web sites www.health.qld.gov.au and www.cancerqld.org.au.

MEDIA: Paul Lynch 3234 1190