The Leeds United Foundation have teamed up with the Melanoma Fund to help protect the health and wellbeing of the young players across our grassroot soccer programmes.

As part of this new partnership, the Melanoma Fund have provided the club’s official charity with 600 Sun-Sorted! Protection kits which include bottles of SunSense SPF50+ sunscreen and Sun-Sorted! Wristbands.

Skin cancer is now the UK’s most common and fastest growing cancer. It is mostly preventable with sunburn doubling the risk of melanoma for people later in life, making it crucial for youngsters to adapt good sun protection habits from an early age that can last a lifetime.

Leeds Untied players and fans have supported the Melanoma Fund since 2005, in memory of former conditioning coach Bruce Craven, who sadly died from melanoma. Through donations made, the charity were able to create the Outdoor Kids Sun Safety Code, which is a campaign that involves anyone who works outdoors with children.

The CEO at the Melanoma Fund, said: “Young footballers spend lots of time training in all weathers, and just as waterproofs are important in winter, so is sun protection in the summer. We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with this great club, with fans, players and coaches all helping to create such a wonderful legacy in memory of Bruce.”

If you would like to become Sun Protection Accredited as part of the ongoing campaign, as either a group or individual that takes the health and wellbeing of children seriously, you simply need to undertake the following actions, all free of charge:

1.            Read the OK Sun Safety Code.

2.            Create a tailored sun protection policy.

3.            Display awareness posters.

4.            Display the sun protection accreditation logo and certificate.

On registration you will be sent a toolkit of resources that simply require downloading and printing, helping to keep sun protection in the front of minds all summer.

For further information please on the Melanoma Fund, their Sun Safety Code and Sun-Sorted! Protection kits, visit  https://www.melanoma-fund.co.uk/ok-sun-safety-code/.