Alopecia UK

Who we are

What we do

Alopecia UK is a small national charity working to improve the lives of those affected by alopecia through aims of Support, Awareness and Research.  Despite being a small charity we are still the largest alopecia charity in the UK with big ambitions to develop and grow further.  Alopecia UK was founded in 2004 and registered with the Charity Commission of England & Wales in September 2005. Registration with the Scottish Charity Regulator took place in February 2014.

Our Vision

A world without alopecia or a world in which people with alopecia live the life they want with confidence. 

Our Mission

To improve the lives of those affected by alopecia.

Aims & Workstreams

Support:

Our aim - we will provide impartial information, advice and support to help people feel less isolated.

We do this through:

• Providing a website packed full of useful information and advice, including news and blogs
• Facilitating online peer support groups, including four private Facebook Groups
• Facilitating a nationwide network of volunteer-led peer support groups across the UK for children, teenagers and adults
• Creating supportive resources such as our 'A Little Bit of Everything About Alopecia' booklet and our 'Schools Pack'. 
• Organising regional and national events 
• Individual support is provided to those who contact the charity via email, telephone and social media; queries range from questions about wig provision, lack of understanding from GPs or family members, how to help children with alopecia and questions about diagnosis, treatments and prognosis

Awareness:

Our aim - we will raise awareness to the general public and healthcare professionals about alopecia and its psychological impact.

We do this through:

• Promoting awareness to medical professionals
  • We attend conferences, both with stalls and as speakers, engaging with medical professionals to highlight the patient experience of alopecia with an aim to increase understanding and empathy
  • We have developed an education module with the Royal College of General Practitioners, specifically for GPs, in order to enable more GPs to improve upon their knowledge and understanding of alopecia
  • We have worked with organisations to create a Charter for Best Practice for NHS Wig Provision to help tackle the disparity in wig provision and ensure people can access the wigs they need
• Promoting awareness to the general public
  • We support media requests about alopecia (including TV, newspaper, magazine and radio opportunities) by finding participants to take part or one of the charity staff team taking part directly
  • We facilitate active and engaging social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
  • We develop and sell merchandise through our online shop
  • We develop, sell and distribute children’s story books to increase understanding of alopecia within the Primary School age group
  • We work with our ambassadors to raise the profile of both the charity and also alopecia
  • We facilitate large scale national events whereby large groups of people attend to raise awareness of alopecia in public spaces e.g. our annual trip to Alton Towers

Research:

Our aim - we will provide hope and confidence to people with alopecia by funding research into its causes, with the aim of finding treatments, and ultimately, a cure.

We do this through:

• Having a Research Committee made up of scientists, researchers, clinicians, pharma representatives, psychologists, and patient representatives to provide a Research Strategy for the charity to work to in 2019 and beyond
• Providing funding for small scale research projects
• Supporting researchers to find participants for their research studies
• Supporting an alopecia biobank through funding sample collection

Our Values

• To be open, honest and act with integrity
• To work productively in partnership with others
• To be passionate and motivated to make a change
• To appreciate the skills, expertise and commitment of our Staff, Trustees and Volunteers, many of whom have personal experience of alopecia