The XP Support Group supports children and families who suffer from
Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP), which is a rare genetic skin condition that causes
sufferers to be hypersensitive to UV light.
This means that when skins cells are damaged, the
condition prevents the skin from repairing itself so the cells remain damaged
and can become cancerous. Sufferers must live their lives indoors or wear
restrictive protective clothing outdoors. The Group was founded in 1999
by the parents of a child with XP with the aim to raise funds for research, to
give grants for UV protective products and to hold night time camps for
children and their families. The night camp event, known as Owl Patrol, won
Express Yourself's Stars in the Community Charity Event of the Year
2008 award, which was announced at the glittering awards ceremony in May.
Express Yourself is
delighted to have supported the XP Support Group in raising funds to re-filter
their Owl Patrol venue with Dermagard which is the material that blocks out the
UV rays.