Skin disease research charity the British Skin Foundation (BSF) is taking the battle against skin disease in children to the airwaves by producing a series of radio shows aimed at children and parents.
The charity has teamed up with the radio station Fun Kids Radio to broadcast a series of 15 shows about the skin, why it’s important and ways to deal with childhood skin disease. The three-minute features will start airing on the 10th October, and with seasonal variations will continue to be broadcast right through to summer 2012 as part of the station’s repeat schedule.
Topics to be covered include eczema and how to deal with it, psoriasis, living with skin disease as a child, vitiligo, and sun safety. Each show will present the subject in a fun and engaging way with the help of the station’s very own ‘Professor Hallux’ character to help educate children and their parents about the body’s largest organ. Importantly, the programmes also aim to reduce the stigma children often feel when they have a skin disease.
Skin disease is now the most common reason why people consult their GP for the initial visit in England and Wales, with eczema the most common skin disease in children affecting as many as one in ten in the UK. A recent snapshot survey conducted by the BSF highlighted the scale of the eczema problem, with a staggering nine out of ten dermatologists and dermatology nurses said they saw childhood eczema as the biggest problem facing paediatric dermatology in the UK.
Many people underestimate the effects of living with a skin disease regardless of the sufferer’s age – sleep deprivation, soreness and pain, repeat infections, intensive treatment programmes, hospitalisation and in some severe cases even death. Many skin diseases, including eczema and psoriasis, are still without a cure, which is why it is essential that funding continues to be made available for research into possible cures and new and better treatments.
The British Skin Foundation is dedicated to raising money for skin disease research and has a dedicated Children’s Fund that raises money specifically for research into childhood skin diseases. Sadly it is just one of a handful of grant giving bodies in the UK that funds research into children’s skin disease.
Matthew Patey, Chief Executive of the British Skin Foundation, says: “Teaming up with Fun Kids Radio is exciting for us, because it’s a chance to reach out to an audience that is likely to have experience of skin disease. Having a child with a skin condition can, in the most extreme cases, be an exhaustive experience for parents and emotionally and physically devastating for the child. We know of parents where hospital visits are as part of their routine as picking up the children from school, and sleep is a luxury. What’s more it can put a huge strain on family relations, so through raising awareness of what we do as a charity, we’re hoping to make those changes that will help change this for current and future parents.”
Matt Deegan, Station Manger at Fun Kids says: “We try to represent all aspects of our young listeners’ lives and we’re happy to touch on this important subject in a fun and interactive way”.
Fun Kids Radio is the Sony Digital Radio Station of the Year and available through DAB digital radio in London and the South East and online at www.funkidslive.com. Once the shows finish airing they will be available to listen to and download through the British Skin Foundation website at www.britishskinfoundation.org.uk
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