Carlisle Healthy City Week
(Date of issue: Tuesday, 18 October 2011)
As part of Healthy City Week,
Carlisle City Council’s Environmental Health team, working in
partnership with NHS Cumbria, will be holding a skin cancer
awareness session in Carlisle City Centre on Tuesday 18 October,
between 11.30am and 3pm.
The public event aims to raise awareness of the dangers of
overusing sun tanning equipment and give advice on safe
alternatives.
Deaths from skin cancer have almost doubled in Carlisle from
five in 2000 to nine in 2009 and there were 9,801 cases of
malignant melanoma - the deadliest form of skin cancer- reported in
the UK in 2009.
Using a sunbed before the age of 35 can increase your risk of
melanoma by 75% and each day more than two people under 35 in
Britain are diagnosed with malignant melanoma.
Melanoma was the seventh most common cancer in 15 - 34 year olds
in Britain thirty years ago, now it is the second most common for
this age group. For all ages, melanoma is now the sixth most common
cancer
Young women in particular need to take care since they are more
than twice as likely to be diagnosed with melanoma as young
men.
The good news is that the majority of cases could be prevented
by making sure you don’t get sunburnt and choosing safer
alternatives such as fake tan.
The skin cancer awareness session is one of around 20 events to
be held in celebration of Carlisle’s first ever Healthy City Week
(17-23 October).
Organised by Healthy City partners - Carlisle City Council and
NHS Cumbria - the packed programme includes a variety of FREE
activities that aim to encourage health and wellbeing.
Throughout the week, all exercise to music classes at The Sands
Centre will cost only £1 (Monday – Friday); the Carlisle Youth Zone
gym will be free to use between 3.30pm and 6pm (Monday – Friday);
Curves are offering women a free pass and fitness assessment; and a
photography and poetry exhibition entitled “Never too old to...”,
organised by Age UK, CN Group and Carlisle City Council, will be
staged in The Lanes Shopping Centre (the site of the former Laura
Ashley shop).
Other public events include:
- A “Come and Try the Outdoor Gym”, at Carlisle’s only open-air
gym on Acredale Road Play Area, Belle Vue, between 11am and 12noon
on Tuesday, 18 October;
- Free Parents and Tots swim sessions at Morton Leisure Centre on
Wednesday, 19 October, between 12.30pm and 1pm, as well a Free
Family Swim on Thursday, 20 October, between 5pm and 6pm;
- ‘Zumba’ lessons in Carlisle City Centre on Thursday, 20
October, between 12noon and 1pm, as well as on Friday, 21 October,
between 1pm and 2pm;
- A Nutrition Workshop at The Sands Centre, between 2pm and
3pm;
- SAFE Club at Trinity Leisure Centre on Friday, 21 October,
between 7pm and 9.30pm. Open to 11-17 year olds, youngsters can
take part in various sporting activities. There will also be advice
on how to keep cycle safe during the winter months;
- Curiosities Festival at Tullie House on Saturday, 22 October,
between 1pm and 2pm. The woodland themed event will include
children’s yoga and storytelling. Places are free, but are limited.
Call 01228 618700 to book in advance;
- Free use of The Sheepmount athletics track on Sunday, 23
October, between 9am and 4pm.
Carlisle successfully achieved World Health Organisation (WHO)
Healthy City status in October 2009.
In addition to the public events, a series of seminars aimed at
key stakeholders and local politicians will be held. These will
focus on Get into Reading; Growing a Healthy City; Preventing Young
People Smoking; and Healthy Urban Planning. These are all key
themes of Healthy City phase five and the Carlisle Healthy City:
Health Improvement Action Plan.
To find out more about Carlisle’s Healthy City Week, visit
www.carlisle.gov.uk/healthycity.