Dates for Your Diary - May 2025

Thursday 1st May 2025

Dates for Your Diary - May 2025

Throughout May, there are three dates to note in your diary:

  • National Sun Awareness Week - 5th to 11th May
  • World Asthma Day - 6th May
  • National Children's Day UK - 18th May

We will be supporting all of these dates across our social platforms on X (formally Twitter) and Facebook.

National Sun Awareness Week - 5th to 11th May
Organised by the British Association of Dermatologists, the aim of this week is to raise awareness of the dangers of excessive sun exposure and how to avoid sunburn and skin cancers.

Visit the British Association of Dermatologists website to get involved, including resources such as posters and leaflets to help raise awareness https://www.skinhealthinfo.org.uk/sun-awareness/.

Sunburn is all too common during periods of hot weather. Your skin may become hot to touch, feel sore or painful and the skin will begin to flake or peel (usually after a few days). Here are some simple tips to help ease sypmtoms of sunburn:

Do:

  • get out of the sun as soon as possible
  • cool the skin with a cool shower, bath or damp towel (take care not to let the person get too cold, especially in children or babies)
  • apply aftersun cream or spray
  • drink plenty of water to cool down and prevent dehydration
  • cover sunburnt skin from direct sunlight until skin has fully healed

Don't:

  • do not use petroleum jelly on sunburnt skin
  • do not put ice or ice packs on sunburnt skin
  • do not pop any blisters
  • do not scratch or try to remove peeling skin
  • do not wear tight-fitting clothes over sunburnt skin

It is also important to look out for any insect stings during warmer weather. Whilst typically harmless and easy to treat, if signs of a severe allergic reaction or anaphylatic shock appear, call 999/112 immediately! Here are some simple treatments for insect stings:

  • if you can see the sting, try to remove it using a fingernail or scrape it off with the side of a bank card. Do not use tweezers - they will inject more poison into the skin
  • elevate the infected area if possible and apply a cold compress for no more than 10 minutes
  • if the sting is in the mouth, give the casualty an ice cube to suck on or some cold water to sip
  • continue to monitor for signs of an allergic reaction

World Asthma Day - 6th May
World Asthma Day is an annual event organised by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) with a goal to improve asthma awareness and care around the world. This year's theme is 'Make Inhaled Treatments Accessible for ALL'. To get invloved, visit the GINA website for more information as well as downloadable resources https://ginasthma.org/wad-2025/.

Asthma is a common long-term condition that can cause breathing difficulties. It can be triggered by various common irritants including dust, pollen, smoke, exercise, infections, anxiety and temperature changes.

Recognition:

  • working hard to breathe
  • wheezing
  • coughing
  • chest tightness
  • difficulty speaking in complete sentences
  • extreme use of muscles in the neck and chest
  • cyanosis (blue/grey skin, lips and nails)

Treatment:

  • Comfort them - help the causualty sit up straight, in a comfortable position leaning forward. Reassure them and encourage calm, steady breathing. (Only lie them down if they become unconscious)
  • Use inhaler - if they have an inhaler, help them take one puff of their reliever inhaler (with a spacer if available) every 30-60 seconds, up to a maximum of 10 puffs
  • Call for help - if the causualty feels worse at any point or there is no improvement after 10 puffs, call 999/112 for an ambulance
  • Await ambulance - after 15 minutes, repeat the use of the inhaler whilst you wait for medical help to arrive

National Children's Day UK - 18th May
National Children's Day UK (NCDUK) is all about the importance of a healthy childhood and protecting the rights and freedoms of children so that they can grow into happy, healthy adults. The NCDUK website provides a vital insight into the importance of a healthy childhood and how there is a growing crisis in child health and wellbeing. The organisation aim to provide a crucial opportunity across the country to come together and advocate for child health and wellbeing.

To find out how you can get involved this year, visit https://www.nationalchildrensdayuk.com/. There is also an oppourtunity to read the latest press release from February here https://shorturl.at/PPUaW.