Become an AUK VIP Become an AUK VIP Help Alopecia UK and save yourself some money too! Following the introduction of our AUK Cardholder Scheme in 2018 we’re continuing this in 2019 but with the new name of ‘AUK VIP Card’. Our AUK VIP Cards will give cardholders access to many discounts on offer from participating businesses in our Service Directory, as well as discounts for Alopecia UK events…and we have plans for much more too! CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR AUK VIP CARD We really hope many of you will want to become an AUK VIP. Not only is it an opportunity to grab some discounts and save some money, it’s a fantastic way to show your support to Alopecia UK and help us to achieve our aims around Support, Awareness and Research. And supporting a small charity brings unlimited amounts of warm fuzzy feelings! We’ve renamed the cards ‘VIP Cards’ because, simply speaking, our supporters are Very Important People to us. Alopecia UK couldn’t continue its work without the support of VIPs like YOU! Our VIP Cards help us to increase our regular annual income (something that is so important to a small charity) whilst also giving something back with discounts for our valued supporters. We also plan to introduce added extras such as exclusive prize draws for our VIPs too! CLICK HERE TO SEE THE BUSINESSES ON OUR DIRECTORY TO CHECK OUT AVAILABLE DISCOUNTS AUK VIP Card FAQs Why has Alopecia UK introduced VIP Cards? Historically, Alopecia UK operated a membership scheme whereby, in return for a small annual payment, a membership card was issued. This was introduced at a time when Alopecia UK was run entirely by volunteers. It subsequently became too much work for the volunteer team to administer. In early 2018, we decided to reintroduce this idea as a Cardholder Scheme. This is partly due to requests from the suppliers who offer discounts via our Service Directory. Business owners wish to only offer discounts to those who they know are supporting Alopecia UK. We also hope that by reintroducing a Cardholder Scheme, we can create a stream of regular income that can be used towards our aims of support, awareness and research. The renaming to ‘VIP Cards’ in 2019 reflects how much we value those who have chosen to support Alopecia UK. Our supporters are VIPs! Why is it called a VIP Card and not a Membership Card? By purchasing an AUK VIP Card, am I a member of Alopecia UK? Many of our supporters and followers consider themselves to be members of the charity but Alopecia UK is not a membership charity. As a charity we are committed to having information, support and advice free at the point of access and available to all. We never want to have separate offerings for members and non-members. However, we want to work with businesses to create a comprehensive Service Directory that will be an invaluable resource to many with alopecia, and we'd like to pass on a few perks in the form of discounts to those of you participating by getting your VIP Card! If I choose not to become an AUK VIP, can I still access the information, support and advice available? Yes, you do not need to become an AUK VIP to access our support services. You can still attend our support groups, contact the charity team and access all areas of our website. You will just not have access to the discounts and special offers available to AUK VIPs. When does the AUK VIP Card year run until? The AUK VIP Card runs from 1st February to 31st January. You will need a new card each VIP Card Year. Whether you join in June or December, your card will expire on 31st January and you will be asked to purchase a further card the following year. You may wish to bear this in mind when considering whether to join. You may wish to wait until the following year’s cards are available to purchase. Or if you are making an expensive purchase with a supplier who offers a discount to AUK VIPs, it might be that the savings far outweigh the cost of the card in which case you might wish to purchase a VIP Card even if the year is about to end. How do I claim an AUK VIP Card discount? If a Service Directory supplier offers discounts to AUK VIP Cardholders, this can be obtained by simply showing a participating supplier your AUK VIP Card. If a participating supplier is an online retailer, you will need to use the discount code provided to you in your joining letter. What happens if I lose my AUK VIP Card? Please keep your AUK VIP Card safe. If you lose it, we are able to issue a replacement card but there will be an admin charge payable of £10. Please email us at [email protected] to request a replacement card. CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR AUK VIP CARD