Lourdes students in national finals with UV rays campaign
OUR LADY OF LOURDES secondary school students have qualified for the finals of the Young Social Innovators ( YSI) awards in Croke Park today (Tuesday) through their successful UV Been Warned skin cancer campaign.
The students launched their national campaign about UV Rays to promote sun safety and to reduce the risk of skin cancer in the country in January and presented it at the regional finals in the Lyrath Estate Hotel in Kilkenny last week. A spokesperson for the group said: ‘Our Young Social Innovators project is called UV Been Warned and is based on promoting sun safety. We had our showcase on April 23 at Lyrath Estate which was a great experience. We were all up on the stage doing our speeches. It was something new.’
The spokesperson said: ‘Skin cancer has become the most common type of cancer in Ireland. We intend to make Irish people more aware of the risks of skin cancer and how to prevent skin cancer.’
The students have contacted the media, health care services, TDs, travel services, county councils, outdoor organisations, tourist organisations and the met office over recent months, as well as fundraising for the Irish Cancer Society.
The students were joined in Kilkenny by two other YSI groups from their school whose projects Pointless Pills and Phone Fever also impressed.
The UV Been Warned YSI group spokesperson Aoife Ryan said: ‘We are delighted to get this far with our project. The main aim was to raise awareness about how damaging the sun can be to skin. We are so thrilled to have gotten so far and we are hoping to do our best in the competition.’
Students from Meanscoil Gharman in Enniscorthy also qualified for the finals.