Island-Wide Sun Safety Campaign Launched In Memory Of Zoe Panayi

A new campaign aiming to make every primary school on the Isle of Wight “Sun Safe” has been launched in memory of a young woman who died from skin cancer.

Local entrepreneur Charlie Panayi has partnered with national charity SKCIN to roll out the initiative across the Island, following the death of his sister Zoe from melanoma in 2020.

The campaign will see primary schools encouraged to sign up to SKCIN’s Sun Safe Schools programme, which focuses on educating children, teachers and families about the dangers of sun exposure and the importance of protection.

The programme, inspired by Australia’s well-known “Slip, Slop, Slap” campaign, has already been introduced in thousands of schools across the UK, reaching more than one million children and families.

It promotes long-term behaviour change through lessons, school policies, and community engagement.

As part of the Isle of Wight rollout, every primary school will receive a free sunscreen dispenser and a copy of a children’s book designed to teach sun safety in an engaging way.

New interactive resources, including assemblies and activities, will also be introduced to help bring the message to life for pupils.

Marie Tudor, CEO of SKCIN, said the programme is about more than just awareness.

She said:

“It’s about embedding good habits early — not just with children, but with teachers and parents too.

"By taking a whole-school approach, we can help create a generation that understands the importance of prevention and feels empowered to act on it.”

Charlie says the campaign — known as Zoe’s Law — is focused on preventing other families from experiencing the same loss.

He said:

“My sister died from a cancer that is largely preventable when people understand the risks and act early.

"This is about education that changes behaviour early enough to save lives.

“If we can reach children at a young age, we can change how they think about sun exposure for the rest of their lives.”

The initiative officially launched with support from Isle of Wight West MP Richard Quigley, who described it as “a great collaboration in a united mission to educate the next generation with sun safety.”

Schools across the Isle of Wight are now being encouraged to sign up to the programme as part of the wider ambition to expand the campaign beyond the Island in the future.