Centre Total Schools Schools in process but not been accredited Schools that are accredited

Gisborne 49 4 (8.16%) 15 (30.61%)

Hawke’s Bay 109 13 (11.93%) 44 (40.37%)

Manawatu 110 19 (17.27%) 29 (26.36%)

Taranaki 87 9 (10.34%) 18 (20.69%)

Wanganui 64 3 (4.69%) 35 (54.69%)

Source: Retrieved from SunSmart Schools Database 18/6/2015 based on 419 schools in CD.

SUNSMART SCHOOLS ACCREDITATION PROGRAMME (SSAP)Total of 141 (33.65%) schools accredited and 48 (11.46 %) in progress.

1

In recent years more New Zealanders die of melanoma than die on our roads.

There has been a public awareness around sunburn and melanoma for many years. The original ‘Slip, Slop, Slap’ ad was launched in Australia in 1981! But is the message getting through? Over 2,000 melanomas are registered and an estimated 67,000 skin cancers are treated each year in New Zealand.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer affecting New Zealanders. Primarily these cancers are caused by too much exposure to UV radiation from the sun. Up to 95% of melanomas are attributed to excess sun exposure. Melanoma treatment costs in New Zealand alone are estimated at $24.4M per year. For a cancer that can be prevented.

The Cancer Society is fighting back against these numbers with education and advocacy. Starting young, the Cancer Society is teaching SunSmart practices in schools as well as helping to provide SunSmart spaces. Nearly 34% of all schools in Central Districts are registered as a SunSmart School. This

means they have shaded places to play, students have sun hats and sunscreen, and they actively promote SunSmart practices.

The Cancer Society is also out there at outdoor events. You will see sunscreen readily available for the public to use. After all, prevention is better (and cheaper) than cure.

And the Cancer Society is advocating to Switch off Sunbeds. Sunbeds emit artificial UVA and UVB radiation. Both are known to be directly responsible for causing skin cancer. The light from sunbeds is much stronger than our summer midday sun. The Cancer Society advises people not to use sunbeds – we’d like them switched off for good. They are dangerous and unnecessary.

Together we can become a SunSmart country.

Melanoma Awareness

Cancer Society of New Zealand Central Districts Division www.cancer.org.nz

autumn/winter 2016

supporter newsletter

Is your local school SunSmart

registered? Find out on our website.

www.sunsmartschools.co.nz/schools/accreditation/

schools-list

2 Cancer Society of New Zealand Central Districts Division www.cancer.org.nz

FUNDRAISING & EVENTS

Gisborne• Book and Clothes sale on 9 April• New Childrens Knitting Sale – May• Quiz Night – 23 May

RAFFLEThe Gisborne Easter raffle has to date raised $495 with still 2 days of selling to go. We will have to replace the chocolate product as first day out a 29 degree day melted it somewhat!!

Relay For Life HighlightsGOING THE EXTRA MILETaranaki’s Rapid Relief Team of approximately 30 people added a whole new dimension to Relay for Life. No tasks daunted them and were all undertaken willingly and graciously. They helped with parking, finance, transporting gear, collecting food and equipment from numerous suppliers, setting up the Garden of Remembrance, cooking hamburgers all day (with proceeds going to the Cancer Society), making dinner for all the staff and volunteers and even offered to do some random plumbing and electrical work! Their energy and enthusiasm was infectious. Their help was invaluable.

WanganuiWanganui has now opening a retro, mid-century and vintage furniture shop. We are delighted with the donations so far and the interest since opening. Please contact Sue to enquire about donations or drop in to 81 Maria Place just behind the Resource Recovery Centre Monday, Wednesday and Friday for a look. For more info ph Sue on 022 659 6006.

Waikohu Hikoi for HopeAt 7pm on Saturday 12 March 2016 230 people took to the track at Te Karaka to walk overnight until 7am Sunday morning in support of their whanau going through cancer. The survivors, including children and teens, who started the walk were challenged by a spontaneous haka which set the tone of “togetherness” throughout the hikoi. One young participant had loaned her 3000 beads, which she had received for each cancer treatment she had been through – these beads were arranged to spell “tumanako”, meaning hope and were lit overnight. A young man from Edgecumbe, who had come over to support whanau, walked the total 12 hours and was acknowledged by everyone at the conclusion of the hikoi. 28 teams took part and raised $3017 – a huge amount for a community which normally has only 480 residents.

Three adult volunteers supported staff on the registration desk while two young volunteers helped staff in the merchandise tent.

ManawatuAsher Rees, who drives on the New Zealand stockcar circuit, decided his car’s mid-season facelift would be a little different this year, opting to adorn it with the Cancer Society of New Zealand’s blue and yellow. Part of the idea came from another competitor, who was diagnosed with cancer and regaled his car in similar livery.

“Awareness has kind of disappeared from Speedway since then. It’s quite a big thing in life. Everyone in the stockcar thing thinks they’re bullet-proof,” Rees said. But awareness is what he is now trying to boost, as well as money.

“Everyone needs to be aware of it. My nan was diagnosed with breast cancer last Wednesday.”

Asher had all the design work and labour contributed for free, courtesy of K Brown Designs and Harts Automotive Repairs, and will be raising money throughout his next 4-5 weeks of racing. The driver is putting up one of his vehicle’s wing panels in a raffle, which will go at the end of the season.

Although Rees and his team will travel around the country, all money raised will come back to the Central District.

“In the end, it all helps people diagnosed with cancer.” n

SUPPORTIVE CARE:

Gisborne Visiting Hamilton on 17 March to overview services, face to face meetings with Waikato Hospital, Cancer Society Waikato branch and Lions Lodge staff and “catchup with client current in Waikato”.

28 April – Look Good Feel BetterHauora Tairawhiti Medical Day Unit Working

Party meetings – 31 March ongoingHauora Tairawhiti Palliative Care Strategy – 8

April.

Manawatu Dr Dave in DannevirkeWhat are the health issues for men and what can they do to look after themselves?

As the 7.30pm kick off time approached people began streaming in and organisers scrambled to find enough chairs and spaces for people to sit. Eventually more than 270 people packed into the Dannevirke Services and Citizens Club to hear Dr Dave Baldwin deliver an eye opening and hilarious presentation on Men’s Health.

Volunteers from the Dannevirke Cancer Support Group who organised the evening, and who are also trained as Get the Tools facilitators, later described their amazement at the support and response to the event. The credit for its success has to go to these volunteers who worked tirelessly to rally support from their community and which resulted in generous sponsorship and donation of services from local organisations. They are already making plans for the future so watch this space! n

3www.cancer.org.nz Cancer Society of New Zealand Central Districts Division

autumn/winter 2016

GisborneAn extremely busy time with 3 x DIY Marae rebuilds occurring in the region – The local Cancer Society Centre was approached by Maori Television to be part of this event to promote SunSmart and healthy lifestyles. Health Promoter, Jo Pere, has identified smoking on the Marae as a huge issue and is planning on discussing how to address this with Kaumātua, hapu and iwi representatives going forward.

ManawatuPNCC Community Wellbeing Committee Meeting were recently treated to a selection of choral work by Duodecad, a group of PNGHS students.

One of the songs performed was created by our talented Maral Ghamkhar, a PNGHS student as well as one of our Community Advocacy Volunteer group. The songs performed were the result of a project working with Dr Louise Reiche, and investigated fresh ways of thinking about skin cancer.

The Cancer Society’s SunSmart campaign has been very effective in pre-school, primary and some intermediate schools but the campaign has not been funded to roll out to secondary schools. The Palmerston North City Councillors were very supportive and encouraged the programme being taken into other secondary schools in the region.

Hawke’s BayRelay For Life in Hawke’s Bay surprised participants with an inflatable Colossal Colon as part of our Health Promotion on prevention of Bowel Cancer. This new resource caught the interest of all ages at Relay For Life.

The Hawke’s Bay Farmers Market was a great place for the Hawke’s Bay Cancer Society team to educate and offer sunscreen support. Both days we attended were very hot and busy with visitors. Many were from overseas, and weren’t aware of the danger of our sun.

The evidence of the Smokefree policy in Napier:The Napier Councils’ Smokefree policy is beginning to have an impact – some cafes already deciding on Smokefree outdoors and Napier has set up a Smokefree parklet. It’s great to see shade incorporated. n

HEALTH PROMOTION

Cancer Society of New Zealand Central Districts Division www.cancer.org.nz4

New Zealand has the highest rate of melanoma in the world and yet we have no effective therapy available for advanced melanoma.

It is highly unusual for the Cancer Society to get involved in any national debate around the funding of particular cancer drugs. However, in the case of the new immunotherapies for melanoma, we have made an exception for reasons of equity, evidence and deep concerns about existing decision processes.

Properly called Pembrolizumab, Keytruda is a prescription medicine used to treat some forms of melanoma and non-small cell lung cancers. The survival rate for melanoma patients after one year is around 70 percent when treated with this drug, compared to 25 percent for untreated patients.

It’s also comparatively safe. Every cancer drug has side effects, but the government’s drug safety agency, Medsafe, says the benefits outweigh the risk, and it is affordable. Funders in the UK, Canada, Australia and other countries have made Pembrolizumab treatment publicly available.

But this drug is not funded by Pharmac. Patients are forced to weigh-up whether to foot the bill for treatment

themselves or wait for a Pharmac decision with no guarantee of a positive outcome.

Immunotherapy treatment costs about $10,000 a month. Currently in New Zealand, if Kiwis can afford the drugs, they can access it by paying for the treatment privately. Doctors have to tell their patients and their families if they don’t have the money, they cannot get treated. The Cancer Society considers this unsatisfactory for a health system funded by the taxpayer.

The Cancer Society agrees that pharmaceutical companies should be challenged about the global variation in pricing demands for new

“Immunotherapy treatment costs about $10,000 a month.”

pharmaceuticals in different countries. We are also of the view that, in times of high, unmet need like this, these companies should consider making such important medicines broadly accessible – this would increase market penetration of important products quickly, rather than keeping prices high and access scarce. Companies need to be challenged to price their medicines based on the value they provide rather than the profits required to return growth to shareholders.

The Cancer Society believes that PHARMAC does an important job. However, we feel that its functioning role and effectiveness could be strengthened and make a greater difference to both the New Zealand health system and to the health outcomes of New Zealanders.

If you would like to read more please visit https://wellington.cancernz.org.nz/assets/About-National-Office/csnz-position-statement-eams-and-melanoma-immunotherapies-final.pdf n

The Keytruda Debate

GisborneGisborne Centre has a promotion currently via newspaper, radio and weekly community magazine (free of charge) seeking volunteers across a wide range of areas. Todate the campaign has attracted 4 new volunteers and it has only been running a week. Two of the new male volunteers have agreed to do some well needed painting and maintenance work around the Gisborne Centre. One of our younger volunteers has ‘retired’ owing to taking up studies out of the region to become a doctor.

WanganuiTwo new members of the Wanganui executive committee.

The Wanganui executive is delighted to announce that Ned Tapa and Craig Cleveland have joined the local executive. Both gentlemen have proven service in support of the wider Whanganui Community and specific skills that strengthen the executive.

TaranakiRECENT APPOINTMENTJan Mason has joined our team as the Events and Volunteer Coordinator. Jan has owned two retail businesses and because of her interest in politics, more recently worked for Parliamentary Services. She then retired and found she didn’t like it! She believes her

new role enables her to give back to the community and also appreciates working for an organisation that is making a noticeable difference.

She has three grown up daughters and is looking forward to welcoming her third grandchild later this year. If she’s not planning a trip in her spare time, she’s probably gardening or playing golf. n

VOLUNTEERS