Toolstation Partners With Macmillan To Launch 'Sunburn Swatch'

Toolstation has partnered with cancer support charity Macmillan for a new campaign that aims to raise awareness of skin cancer among tradespeople.

Developed by PR agency Finn Partners, ‘Sunburn Swatch’ is designed to raise awareness of sun protection for tradespeople when working outdoors. The campaign features images of different sun swatches to represent skin types, alongside striking statistics of how many tradespeople use sun protection on site.

Under half (48%) of tradespeople worry about getting burnt while they are working outside, research commissioned by Toolstation reveals [i].

24% skip wearing sun protection while working outside in the summer months, despite 68% always or often wearing it while on holiday.

The poll of customers from Toolstation, one of the UK’s fastest growing suppliers of tools, accessories and building supplies, also found that 59% of customers who work in a trade had suffered from sunburn working outside while on the job.

Half (50%) of trade customers who rarely or never wear sunscreen when working outside in the summer said they don’t wear protection because they forget or don't think about it before going to work, while 14% don’t think they need it. The same proportion (14%) opt against wearing it because they see it as an inconvenience.

Greg Richardson at Toolstation says: “We know that tradespeople don’t have much time on their hands so prioritizing suncare can be difficult but it’s really important that tradespeople are well informed about the implications of being burnt while working in the sun and the steps they can take to minimize that risk. We hope this campaign helps them overcome that risk and will make wearing sun cream when working outdoors as common as PPE.”

Rebecca Fanning at Macmillan Cancer Support says: “Skin cancer is often linked to UV exposure, and we know that up to 9 in 10 cases of melanoma skin cancer in the UK could be prevented by staying safe in the sun[ii].

“Working with Toolstation, we’re doing whatever it takes to help more people with cancer to get the best possible care. By doing something as simple as applying SPF when out in the sun, tradespeople across the UK can minimise their risk of skin cancer and help reduce the number of people who need Macmillan’s support in the first place.”

[i].Survey of 862 Toolstation customers from Toolstation’s own panel, who described themselves as trade customers. Fieldwork was carried out in 2024 and is unweighted.

[ii] Cancer Research UK: How does the sun and UV cause cancer?

Source : Toolstation and Macmillan

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