By Isle of Wight Observer
A new campaign aiming to make every primary school on the Isle of Wight Sun Safe accredited has been launched in memory of Zoe Panayi, who died from melanoma in 2020.
Local businessman Charlie Panayi is leading the island-wide initiative in partnership with SKCIN, a national skin cancer prevention charity.
SKCIN’s Sun Safe Schools programme was launched in 2012 and is inspired by Australia’s Slip, Slop, Slap campaign and encourages long-term behavioural change. The charity says the programme already supports thousands of primary schools and reaches more than one million children and families across the country.
As part of the Island campaign, every primary school on the Island has been offered a free sunscreen dispenser and a complimentary copy of the illustrated children’s book, George the Sun Safe Superstar. Charlie will help distribute them over the next two months.
Island school children will also be among the first to benefit from new resources, including an interactive escape room challenge and a rap song designed to promote sun safety.
Marie Tudor, chief executive of SKCIN, said the charity was “incredibly honoured” to be working with Charlie and his family, adding that the campaign formed “part of a powerful legacy” in Zoe’s memory.
Charlie said: “Zoe’s Law is about one simple thing. Preventing families from going through what we went through.”
West Wight MP Richard Quigley, who attended the launch, said it was “a great collaboration in a united mission to educate the next generation with sun safety”.
Schools can sign up via iw.observer/sunsafeschools.