Seven melanomas identified in a year as Bathurst clinic turns one

And as the clinic celebrates its first birthday on Saturday, they will be hosting a fundraising event with all proceeds going to the Melanoma Institute.

Clinic manager Pamela Clingham said it did not take long for the first melanoma patient to come through their doors last year.

“We chose the Melanoma Institute because on the very first day we opened, we found a melanoma on the very first client that we looked at,” Ms Clingham said.

Saturday’s birthday celebration will feature free UV photography on the day for those who are interested in recognising where the worst UV damage on their skin is and how to go about remedying it.

A doctor will also be walking around making revisions, so if you need to go to the clinic you can book in and it will be a bulk-billed session at a later date.

“We wanted to use this as an opportunity to educate others as it is getting hotter now leading into summer,” Ms Clingham said.

If you are worried about melanoma, Ms Clingham’s advice is to listen to your body because it will try and tell you when something is wrong.

“People should be checking the colouration, soreness, size or any rapid changes to moles,” she said.

The ABCDE guideline from the Melanoma Institute will also be available on the day.

The guidelines go through what you should be looking for if you are having doubts.

“We want people to become aware of how damaging the sun can be,” she said.

The birthday celebration from noon-3pm will be a family-friendly event with a sausage sizzle, drinks, live music and lucky door prizes.

There will also be a raffle with prizes worth more than $1200, including a $900 skin laser voucher, $300 tattoo voucher and $100 aromatherapy pack. Winners will be announced on the day.