Cost of living: Sun cream appeal in Coventry to help struggling parents

Caroline Taylor says Hope Community Projects needs sunscreen to help families in Coventry this summer

Sunscreen donations are being sought for families that cannot afford it in the cost of living crisis.

The Hope Community Projects, in Coventry, helps nearly 300 households each week through their food bank.

But with the hot weather and the summer holidays approaching, manager Caroline Taylor said they saw sun cream as "a priority".

"We don't want children hospitalised due to sunburn over the holidays," she added.

There have already been calls this year from cancer charities for VAT to be scrapped on sunscreen to make it more affordable.

A charity has donated 100 hats for children to the project and Ms Taylor said they wanted sunscreen donations to help families.

"If anyone wants to go out and donate and buy sunscreen for us, that would be fantastic," she said.

Sharon Roberts (right) says she and her staff, Wendy Robbins and Kirsty Scott-Thomas, at Cherubs playgroup have resorted to buying sunscreen for youngsters

Sharon Roberts helps run the nearby Cherubs Community Playgroup and said they had seen "sunscreen poverty" first-hand.

One of their staff paid for a bottle with a sun protection factor of 50 and Ms Roberts said several parents asked them to use it with their children.

"We have to apply the sun cream every two hours. If they are here for a full day, that means three lots of re-application," she said.

Some parents who use the playgroup say they find sunscreen "extremely expensive" to buy for their children

Parent Paul Wakefield uses the group and said he searched for supermarket brands for his nine children but "the trouble is sometimes you find there is not enough of it on the shelves".

The cost is "extremely expensive" for Sarah Johnston, who has two children with Cherubs, as "we're talking about £11 for something decent".

"Every time they go to a different place, they need to have another sun cream to be there," she said.

Staying safe in the sun

• Wear protective clothing

• Use SPF 30+ sunscreen with at least four-star UVA protection

• Wear a wide-brimmed hat

• Wear quality sunglasses

• Seek shade from the sun whenever possible

How does sunscreen work?