Cricketing great Adam Gilchrist is pulling on a new type of hat - a broad-brimmed one in place of his old baggy green - to go into bat to help protect West Australians from the deadly effects of skin cancer.

The father-of-three is fronting a new statewide skin cancer awareness campaign being spearheaded by Suncorp and the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) based Scott Kirkbride Melanoma Research Centre (SKMRC).

In his first official role as Suncorp SunWise Ambassador for the West, Mr Gilchrist today visited Morley Primary School in Perth's inner northern suburbs to spread the SunWise message to students.

"When I played for Australia I was vigilant about wearing sunscreen and a hat on the field and the team would undergo skin checks at least once, sometimes twice every year," he said.

"Off the field, my wife Mel and I are very conscious about protecting our kids from the damaging effects of the sun because it's these early years before they become adults that are the most important if we want to turn the tide on skin cancer."

As part of his new role, Mr Gilchrist is encouraging schools and other groups across the State to apply for a $4000 portable shade tent.

"I hope community groups, schools, sporting clubs and charities across the State put a bid in for one of these shade structures - Suncorp has 20 to give away," he said.

"I've been told research has shown shade can reduce exposure to ultraviolet radiation by up to 75 per cent*, which is what has prompted them to offer the grant as part of the SunWise campaign."
Mr Gilchrist said he was shocked to learn that Western Australia topped the order just behind Queensland in the rate of skin cancer development.

"We all love our sunburnt country, but the same sun which people flock here to enjoy is having a devastating impact on too many people's lives," he said.

"Annually around 130 West Aussies die from melanoma and more than 1000 new cases of the deadly cancer are diagnosed.

"The only way we're going to fight skin cancer - one of the most preventable forms of cancer - is by making sun protection our way of life."

Suncorp and the SKMRC - a world-leader in skin cancer research based at WAIMR - have joined forces to spearhead the new SunWise campaign in Western Australia to raise community awareness about the potentially lethal effects of sun exposure and the critical need for research into melanoma.

Suncorp Group Executive Banking David Foster said Suncorp was a passionate corporate skin cancer awareness campaigner in its home state of Queensland and wanted to extend this commitment to Western Australia where it now has seven branches.

"Our 16,000 staff combined with the relationship we have with over seven million customers nationally, provides an established and strong community base from which to support the SKMRC," Mr Foster said.

"The SKMRC will join only three other not-for-profit organisations listed on our BPAY donation scheme. Customers will be able to round up their bill or donate a nominated sum of money to the SKMRC when paying a bill online. We will also be listing the centre on our staff payroll-giving register and creating opportunities to encourage the community to donate to the SKMRC in-branch," he said.

"We've let skin cancer become part of our way of life in Australia because we haven't taken seriously enough the risk the sun poses to our health, or understood the emotional havoc it wreaks on families and the burden treating it places on our health system ($300 million a year).

"By partnering with the SKMRC we want to elevate skin cancer so that it's front and centre of people's minds and moves them to make wearing sunscreen, a hat and protective clothing, a routine part of their everyday lives.

"We also want to help the centre achieve its vision of becoming a world leader in the quest to beat one of the most deadly and prevalent forms of cancer by fundraising to support their research."
WAIMR Director Professor Peter Klinken said Suncorp's support would go a long way towards the search for improved diagnosis and treatment of melanoma.

"Melanoma is a devastating reality for so many WA families, so Suncorp has shown a committed first step into our State by making a promise to help improve our health and support research into the aggressive cancer," he said.

"We're extremely grateful for the opportunity Suncorp has offered, which will help fund research projects investigating how we can better diagnose and treat melanoma - in turn, we hope all West Australians will get behind Suncorp's effort to help ease the burden of skin cancer in WA."

For sun safe fact sheets and to apply for the Suncorp SunWise Shade Tent Grant Scheme visit the website www.suncorp.com.au/sunwise.

Applications for the scheme close on Friday May 15. Recipients will be announced in June.

*Queensland Institute of Medical Research, 1998

Media contacts:
Suncorp: Justine Nolan, 0403 090 914
WAIMR/SKMRC: Sarah Hayward, 0411 404 415