Free sun cream for city homeless

Sun cream will be handed out via the homeless services

Homeless people living in the Welsh capital are being offered free sun cream, in a bid to cut the damage to their skin.

In one of the first schemes of its kind, a pharmacy has teamed up with homeless services in Cardiff.

Organisers say the 'Sunwise' initiative recognises the dangers facing those who spend so much time on the streets.

They hope they now have stocks of enough sun cream to supply all of Cardiff's homeless through the summer.

The scheme is the brainwave of Phil Lewis, who runs the Tresillian House homeless hostel in the city.

"People think of the risks to homeless people in the cold during winter, but exposure to the sun has its own dangers," said Mr Lewis.

"In previous summers we've had calls from hospital accident and emergency departments about homeless people who have been admitted suffering with sunburn.

"I wanted to do something about it so I set up Sunwise to raise awareness of the dangers of the sun, as well as to source and distribute sun cream to the homeless."

Support

The project has been backed by one of the biggest chemist chains in Cardiff, the Co-Operative Pharmacy.

Ailsa Jones, the firms operations manager in Wales, added: "Homeless people are a group that haven't previously been targeted by sun safety campaigns, and yet they are clearly at risk.

"As a community pharmacy we are dedicated to looking after the health and well-being of all people in the communities we serve, and so we are really pleased to be able to give practical support to Sunwise."

The sun cream will be distributed by providers of "front line" services for Cardiff's homeless, as well as being made available at drop-in centres across the city including the Tresillian House hostel.