Page 35 - ALG Issue 2 2017

National Allotment Society supports Sun Protection Campaign
Celebrity gardeners, horticultural organisations and UK garden retailers pledge to ght melanoma
Charlie Dimmock, Alan Titchmarsh,
Andy Sturgeon, David Stevens, Toby Buckland, Anne Swithinbank and Joe Swift are supporting ‘Watch Your Back!’ - a sun protection campaign for gardeners devised by the Myfanwy Townsend Melanoma Research Fund (www.melanoma-fund.co.uk). The campaign is partnered by the Garden Centre Association, the Professional Gardeners
Guild and The National Allotment Society and supported by nearly 160 garden centres.
Men and Melanoma
Skin cancer is now the most common cancer in the UK and melanoma is the most dangerous type. It is the fastest growing cancer in men and the second fastest
in women, with men 70% more likely to develop the disease, typically on their backs and in areas that are hard to spot, making the warning signs easier to miss, leading to a later diagnosis and higher death rates.
Raising Awareness
Melanoma rates in the UK have more than quadrupled over the last 30 years; however,
many of us, especially men, still don’t understand the need, or have the motivation to use sun protection regularly, check skin for signs of change or know what to look out for. This attitude may explain why more people in the UK die from melanoma than
in Australia or New Zealand, both of which have the highest incidence in the world.
To help impact this, the Watch Your Back! campaign will promote the following simple advice:
PROTECT: Wear SP30 sunscreen, sleeves, a hat and seek shade between 11am and 3pm DETECT: Regularly check skin for changes and know what to look out for
PREVENT: Melanoma and other skin cancers but enjoy your time outside
Retail Support
Garden Centres will be running digital and in-store campaigns and selected venues will be hosting free skin check clinics and skin health days which can be pre-booked on the charity’s website.
“Too many of us are unaware of the true dangers of over-exposure to the sun and how sunburn can lead to melanoma and other skin cancers”. Joe Swift
Top tips from the experts
The charity has worked with the MASCU (Melanoma and Skin Cancer Unit) at Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead to produce sun protection tips, a guide to skin checking and lots more information on how to keep your skin healthy, designed especially for all gardeners.
Please visit www.melanoma-fund. co.uk for further details from 1st May.
APSE Allotments Management Training
Managing allotments is becoming an increasingly dif cult prospect. Faced with issues such as funding, water, waiting lists, costs and enforcement, shared use, self-management, and site safety, many local government of cers dealing with allotments are struggling to make the most of their assets and time.
For local authorities, allotments are not only a statutory requirement but are also seen as valuable cross-cutting assets which promote public wellbeing and provide environmental bene ts such as ood alleviation, opportunities for biodiversity, locally grown food and preservation of green spaces.
Local authorities not only have to ensure their current allotments sites are well run, but when called upon, if practicable, identify new sites for allotments. Waiting lists still exist for allotment sites, and many local authorities are struggling to reduce the length of time potential allotment holders have to wait. Added to this mix are the ongoing budgetary cuts that councils are facing and the consequent loss of staff in some areas. As
a result, many local authorities are now working with allotment holders to develop the self-management of their own sites.
This approach has proved popular in many areas; by allowing allotment holders the freedom of site management, they can use the revenue they collect from site rents to focus on what needs doing on the site, rather than having to await improvements from already overstretched council budgets.
This form of community empowerment is popular across the country, but that does not mean the role of the local authority has ended. Often, carefully worded agreements and site rules need
to be drawn up by the local authority, which still owns the site, in order to ensure transparent governance, equality and fairness are still apparent within the allotment holders’ own self-management rules and regulations. Also, the local authority may wish to be
the nal arbiter of any disagreements which may occur. It is clear that self-management still requires careful management by local authorities – albeit at arms-length.
APSE training, in conjunction with the National Allotment Society (NSALG), has developed a one day training event that is speci cally tailored for council representatives involved in managing allotments. This event strives to equip delegates with the skills required to manage an effective, prosperous allotment service, whilst addressing the pressing issues in this sector.
This training event will provide practical advice and guidance on what is required from local authorities and considers best practice when working with allotment associations with devolved management responsibilities, together with an understanding of legal and statutory responsibilities.
The next Managing Allotments training event will be held on 16 May in Birmingham. To nd out more, visit www.apse.org.uk and click on Training.
Alternatively, contact Jan Kennedy, Head of APSE Training, on jkennedy@apse.org.uk or call 0161 772 1810.
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