Developing a good culture within your sporting organisation that values the importance of UV protection among its members can be achieved through strong and effective leadership. This can help to align participants, officials and spectators in all wanting to reduce the risk of UV exposure.
Creating good levels of awareness of UV protection within your sporting organisation can be achieved by using leaders as role models. This can include senior players, coaches, parents and professional sportspeople.
Another way to raise awareness and ensure that UV protection measures are being implemented effectively at you sporting organisation is to nominate a SunSmart Officer/s.
Birchip-Watchem Netball Club appointed a SunSmart officer. The officer ensured that the sun protection times were updated and displayed as required and that the SunSmart Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Shade messaging was promoted. The club also implemented a UV policy and conducted a shade audit. Despite this being a predominately winter sport, this club is now more mindful of good UV protection especially at the start and end of each season when UV levels are higher.
To help create individual awareness and behaviour change, SunSmart has a range of resources about Skin cancer prevalence and other health risk factors which can be downloaded including:
- Outdoor SunSmart facilities sign
- Spot the difference: skin cancer flyers
- SunSmart Infographic
- 10 myths about sun protection
Other SunSmart personal protection flyers include:
- Protective Clothing Information Sheet
- Protective Hats Information Sheet
- Appropriate Sunglasses Information Sheet
- Protective Sunscreen Information Sheet