Pupils at Platt Church of England Primary School learn sun safety skills with the Melanoma Fund

Kent charity the Melanoma Fund has been visiting schools across the county holding special assemblies designed to teach children about the importance of sun protection from a young age.

Platt Church of England Primary School in St Mary's Platt took part in the special assembly on Tuesday 17June.

Led by the charity’s CEO Michelle Baker, the children learned how to be a “Sunguard Superhero” by learning facts about the sun, how to monitor UV levels and how to protect themselves with suncream, hats and water.

They even fought off menacing “Sunburns” who tried to gatecrash their assembly.

Emma Smith, head teacher at Platt Primary School, said: “The children really enjoyed the assembly, particularly when the Sunburns came in. It really bought the message home about the need for sun protection.

“They know to wear their hats, but they’re not always good with that so now hats and sun cream are going to come into school a bit more.

“The children learned how to take that initiative themselves looking at the weather, the UV levels and now they can ask themselves, do I need my sun protection today?

“It was a great way to kick start this learning around keeping safe in the sun. It was a memorable assembly so I hope it will stay in their minds as they go into their older years.”

The Melanoma Fund is a Kent charity that focuses on raising awareness, education and prevention of melanoma and other forms of skin cancer in sport and outdoor recreation.

Its aim is to improve understanding of sun protection and early detection to reduce risks and save lives.

As well as the assemblies, the charity is launching its Sunguarding Schools PSHE ‘Quality Marked’ lesson in early 2026.

Michelle Baker said: “We are here to send a positive message. We want to show children that protecting yourself from the sun is a superpower and a life skill that when learned young, like brushing teeth and tying shoelaces, it is something that can be done throughout life without thinking about it.

“We’re visiting 21 schools around Kent and Medway and providing a 20-minute assembly making sure children understand the risks of UV exposure, and how to mitigate them.

“I really felt the children at Platt Primary School were focused and engaged.

“People think melanoma is something that happens to older people, but it is a rising concern in young people. Melanoma is seeded in childhood in a few blistering sunburns, that’s why we are aiming to preventing it with this key message.”

Kent County Council Director of Public Health, Dr Anjan Ghosh, said: "Skin cancer rates are at an all-time high. One in nine cases are directly linked to too much ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun and sunbeds and it takes just one sunburn to double the risk of the disease.

"For all these reasons, it's really important children are sun safe. Their skin is sensitive and hats and high-factor sunscreen helps avoid damage from UV rays that can cause skin cancer in later life. It's fantastic the Melanoma Fund is raising awareness of sun protection among Kent pupils in a fun way that they're unlikely to forget!”