THERE'S one thing that farmer’s tan and Finland have in common and that’s Skibbereen Community School student Katie Kingston.
Katie – whose UV Sun Exposure in Farmers project earned her the top prize in a competition organised by Skibbereen Lions Club – will be travelling to Finland in July to take part in a Lions International Youth Exchange and Youth Camp.
Previous winners, like the multi-award-winning Alicia O’Sullivan of Skibbereen, have found these youth camps to be life-changing experiences. The prize, and the perpetual cup, honours the memory of the late Niamh Cadogan of Caheragh.
Niamh was the first local winner of the Youth Ambassador Award for her project, which raised money for people with autism through the sale of recycled mobile phones.
Niamh won the award in January 2012 but sadly passed away in March of the same year of leukaemia.
‘Niamh was our national winner years ago so we have a great history in the competition,’ said William Kingston, president of Skibbereen Lions Club.
Local girl Kate McCarthy, also from Caheragh, also won the Niamh Cadogan Cup in 2013.
‘It’s a great prize,’ said William, who described the award scheme as being all about encouraging and empowering young people, as well as highlighting the good work they do.
‘We are hoping that more young people will apply for next year’s award because the benefits of attending the youth camp cannot be underestimated,’ added William.
It is open to young people between the ages of 16 and 21. Participants are encouraged to use the travel opportunity to represent their home countries and share their own culture whilst travelling abroad, living with a host family and taking part in a youth camp.
As part of the prize, Skibbereen Lions Club covers the camp costs and flights to one of the 30 participating countries, while accommodation is provided via a family exchange model.
Speaking to The Southern Star, Katie said the idea for her project was as a result of her father, Dr Michael Kingston, receiving an order of sun factor dispensers instead of hand sanitisers during Covid.
‘I felt this is something that people don’t do enough of, so I built on the project from there. We also have a small farm, but grandfather, Paul, was always aware of sun damage and always covered his head with a wide-brimmed hat.
‘Skin cancer is a disease of skin cells with nine out of every 10 cases being caused by UV rays,’ said Katie, who reported that 13,000 new cases are being diagnosed in Ireland every year.
‘But the real frightening statistic is that the National Cancer Registry of Ireland expects this number to double by 2040,’ she added.
As part of her project Katie makes the striking observation that hardware stores don’t sell sunscreen despite the fact that farmers, builders, gardeners, and others, who work in the great outdoors, buy their goods there.
Katie’s project was submitted for the final of the Youth Ambassador Awards in Kildare, and she came third overall.
Speaking as a farmer, William Kingston said he only recently discovered there are monitors, or bands, that people can wear on their wrists to warn them of UV danger.
He believes Katie’s project could benefit from funding because the problem is so serious yet the solution is so simple.
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