LDUK used some of the charity funds to purchase the data for 10,000 schools in the UK (both primary and secondary) and sent out the following email to the Headteachers on 1st May to mark the start of Lyme awareness month. You can help us reach more schools by sharing this information with your school if you are a teacher or a parent.
Dear Headteacher,
We hope that this email may be timely for any lesson and excursion planning you will be doing over the last term of this school year.
Background
Lyme disease is a rising issue in the UK and it is important to be properly informed, particularly when there is a lot of misinformation and misconceptions out there about the illness. Lyme disease is predominantly caught from the bite of an infected tick. Whilst the UK countryside is some of the safest in the world, tick bites are probably the highest risk we face when outdoors, in terms of likelihood and impact. Ticks can be as small as a poppy seed and have a painless bite, so they are often missed.
School Trips inc Checklist and Risk Assessment
Firstly, it is very important to be aware of tick bite prevention methods to protect yourself and pupils when out on any school trips. We have created a checklist to complete for risk assessment when going outdoors as well as a downloadable ‘Wake Up to Lyme’ awareness pack which includes posters and leaflets. These can be placed around the school and sent to teachers and parents.
Resources for schools:
- Listen to free webinar training on Lyme disease awareness
- School trip checklist
- Downloadable Wake Up to Lyme posters and leaflets. If you would like to receive a hard copy pack of posters, leaflets and tick awareness cards please fill in your details here.
- Printable Lyme Disease Activity Pack including word search, dot-to-dot, crossword, wordwheel and colouring in.
Assembly and Lesson Plans
Secondly, children can actively help to to educate the whole family on the dangers of ticks to help keep everyone safe over the summer holidays as well as during the rest of the year. We have created presentations which can either be given as part of a lesson or used in an assembly with teacher approved lesson plans containing detailed activities for afterwards.
Primary Schools
Secondary and Sixth Form Schools
We are running a competition for pupils around the country to create a poster to raise awareness of tick bites. Age appropriate ideas are given in the lesson plan. There are three categories:
- Reception to Year 2
- Year 3-6
- Year 7-13
Poster Competition and Fun Awareness Raising Activities
As part of activities to raise awareness of tick bite prevention, you may like to ask your pupils to wear crazy socks (reinforcing the ‘tuck your trousers into your socks’ prevention message!) or ask them to wear a green accessory one day this term. If you would like to tie in a Lyme disease awareness day with fundraising e.g. cake sale, Summer Fair or £1 charge to dress down day, we would be delighted if you would consider fundraising for Lyme Disease UK. Donations can be made at www.lymediseaseuk.com/donate. Please email awareness@lymediseaseuk.com if you would like to order large quantities of leaflets and/or credit card sized tick awareness cards.
Poster Competition
We are running a competition for pupils around the country to create a poster to raise awareness of tick bites. Age appropriate ideas are given in the lesson plan. There are three categories:
- Reception to Year 2
- Year 3-6
- Year 7-13
If your school would like to take part, get designing and then vote for your school’s favourite poster! Submit the poster to admin@lymediseaseuk.com with the school name, the pupil’s name and age by the Friday 19th July 2019. One poster per school, per category please. The posters will be shared on social media and the winner will be announced on our website and their poster used as part of our awareness campaign.
Please also consider sharing this short animation to help inform parents and pupils of the dangers of tick bites via email or in your next school newsletter – https://youtu.be/lWoseSN20ps.
Lyme Disease UK