About Jen:

Jen is Alopecia UK’s Support Coordinator and before joining us as an employee in March 2024, she fundraised and volunteered for the charity. Jen lives in Scotland with her family and dog, Charlie, who she loves exploring the countryside with. Jen also loves meeting new people, sharing her alopecia experiences, travelling and building Lego models, even better if they’re Disney related! 

Jen's Background: 

Before working for Alopecia UK, Jen has been working in childcare, customer relations and administration, both here in the UK and overseas, supporting a variety of people, and learning to adapt to evolving situations. 

Jen's at Alopecia UK: 

Jen is working on a maternity cover contract and mainly works within our Support aim of the charity. She covers the day-to-day support enquiries that come into the charity in a variety of ways. Jen assists with the smooth-running of our four private Facebook groups organises and leads the Youth Voice Board and Youth Voice Network, helping facilitate ideas into sessions for young people with alopecia. 

Why Alopecia UK:

"Having grown up with alopecia areata, I have faced many different challenges and situations. I’ve felt alone, like I was the only one who was going through hair loss, hiding behind wigs and not feeling like myself. Alopecia is like being on a constant rollercoaster; one second there is incredible highs and the next incredible lows.  Over the years, I have tried many different things, new wigs, products and treatments, but ultimately the one thing that helped the most was community. I found Alopecia UK in 2020 and it is the one thing that truly changed my life for the better. I started opening up about my journey, connecting with others, and learning that actually I wasn’t the only one and hadn’t been for a long time! It was truly heart-warming and a sense of relief to find people like me who just got it, who just understood. 

I started volunteering for Alopecia UK in my local area, running the Edinburgh support group for adults and my passion for the charity continued to grow. The more people I met, the more I realised how invaluable the support and sense of community was. I attended the Alopecia UK's Alton Towers and Big Weekend events and, again, the power of people being together was indescribable. 

Alopecia UK is special, a small but mighty charity, always striving to improve the lives of those affected by alopecia, and I can’t wait to start my journey as Support Coordinator with them."

Jen's favourite inspirational quotes: 

Don't let your fears take place of your dreams. (Walt Disney)

Jen's blogs: 

The Power of Peer Support (December 2021)

Reviewed by Alopecia UK on 09/04/2024