Commercial Director – Club Management Association of Europe (CMAE)

The work that Michelle and the team are doing at the Melanoma Fund is crucial in raising awareness of a threat that all golfers and greenkeepers expose themselves to, and on a regular basis.

I decided to become a Sunguard ambassador because I have first-hand experience with melanoma, after losing my father to it back in 2003. Dad was a keen sportsman, and one of those golfers who always said; “I’ll be fine, I’m used to the sun” – words many golfers have either uttered or heard before. However, despite numerous warnings from his friends and family, he chose to often ignore using sun protection and ended up paying the ultimate price.

The fact is that nobody ever never really understands the impact of cancer until touched by it, and with the incidence of melanoma tripling in men over the last thirty years, we are all vulnerable to this.

I was 29 years old, and I lost the most important man in my life to a disease that is largely preventable. Melanoma didn’t just take his life, it also impacted the lives of many other people, so for me this campaign is vital, and a positive way to hit back at a horrible disease.

I am delighted to support this campaign as it is important to golf, and indeed all sports clubs. I believe that all golf clubs play a key part in helping to reach, support and engage with their members and staff, helping reduce the incidence of skin cancer within our sport.

By becoming Sun Protection Accredited, they can be safe in the knowledge that they are part of a growing community of organisations, taking the lead, and providing positive messages to help keep skin cancer off the fairway. Why wait until it’s too late?