BRIGHTON and Hove Albion’s official charity is once again teaming up with the NHS to provide free mole checks after a similar offer was taken up by dozens of people.

More than 2,300 a year die from skin cancer in the UK with around 15,400 new cases identified nationwide every 12 months.

As with the majority of cancers, however, the chances of successful treatment increase if the skin cancer is identified early.

As part of Albion in the Community’s long-running Speak Up Against Cancer campaign, the charity is working with NHS Brighton and Hove Clinical Commission Group to raise awareness of the symptoms of skin cancer and promote sun safety.

The combined team was out in force at the recent Take Part Festival at The Level in Brighton with more than 60 people stopping by the Speak Up Against Cancer stall to have moles examined by healthcare professionals.

Five people were identified as having potentially problematic moles – including one person who the team convinced to have a mole checked and said they would not have done so were it not for Speak Up Against Cancer’s presence at the free family festival.

The free checks carried out at Take Part were also the equivalent to around 600 minutes of GP time saved.

Inspired by the success of the event, the Speak Up Against Cancer team will again link-up with local doctors and nurses.

They are led by Brighton and Hove CCG’s Macmillan nurse Robyn Payne and consultant dermatologist Claudia DeGiovanni, from Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust ,this time at a football tournament run by AITC at Preston Park on Thursday, July 26.

The tournament is for participants from AITC’s Premier League Kicks programme.

The charity hopes parents of the players will take the chance to have their moles checked between watching their sons and daughters in action.