Congratulations to the young people who were nominated for the 2025 Hannah Dennis Alopecia Awareness Award. We would like to introduce our award winner for this year, 8-year-old Phoebe Brooke!

Congratulations Phoebe on being named the winner of our 2025 Hannah Dennis Alopecia Awareness Award! How did you feel when you were told that you had won this year’s award?

It made me feel happy, because I am proud of the awareness and fundraising I do and I’m happy that it makes Alopecia UK happy too.

Tell us about the things you have done to raise awareness of alopecia

For the last two years we have had a Crazy Hair Day at school. I’ve been able to hand out leaflets and let everyone know about alopecia and how it can come if different ways. I have spoken during an awareness assembly for the whole school. My sister Rosie completed 100 cartwheels for alopecia raising lots of awareness and funds in her school too. 

Last year, I hiked to the top of Catbells (one of the fells in the Lake District) with my family and was in my local newspaper twice, one time making it onto the front page!

I also had therapy sessions at Newcastle RVI, we made a book together for me to take home and some months later they contacted my Mam and asked if they could use my story in a journal they were writing to help the next generation of therapists. 

Wow! That's a lot of incredible things you have done. What do you think is the best thing about having alopecia, and what’s the most annoying thing?

The best thing is meeting people I might not have met without alopecia, fundraising and coming along to the group events. Not having any hair is really annoying because when I watch other girls my age play with their hair I sometimes feel sad and left out.

You completed a huge walk last month to raise awareness and funds for Alopecia UK by being a Junior Charity Champion again. How did that go?

I walked 26 miles around the Kielder Circular, 27.9miles in the full day. We had stickers, flags, slap bands and worry pals made to hand out and talk to people along the way making sure we made as much noise about Alopecia UK as possible. It was amazing! I was aching but very, very proud of myself. I am excited to plan for next year!

What do you love the most about Alopecia UK?

I love attending their events and the feeling I get from everyone being together. I also love getting to see Amy. Bald is Beautiful and Alopecia UK is beautiful too! Alopecia is also ‘boo sheet’ but I love my alopecia family.

Over to Phoebe's Mam, Stacy...

Why do I think it's important to raise awareness for alopecia? 

Alopecia has affected parts of our lives we never dreamed of. At times we thought we were alone, that we were the only ones. If it wasn't for the awareness already raised by Alopecia UK and their events and groups, both online and in-person, we would still be thinking that way. The knowledge and awareness from others has helped us deal with the difficulties, both physical and emotional, that have come with Phoebe’s hair loss.

I remember when Phoebe first started this journey at 3 years old and I joined the Alopecia UK Facebook group looking for help and a lady had said how the itching affects her, the cold on her head at bedtime. all things my 3-year-old couldn't quite explain. If it wasn't for the awareness raised, I feel I would have failed helping Phoebe go through everything alopecia has thrown at her. Hearing the question What kind of cancer does your child have? never gets easier. More people need to know bald does not mean chemo or cancer. Alopecia is real and it affects more people than we could think of.

How has being involved with Alopecia UK, and helping to raise awareness, impacted on Phoebe’s experience with alopecia?

When Phoebe’s journey first started she was so young. It bounced off her with no problems but as she got older she started to hide away, hats in public and tears at bedtime. Scared and feeling alone, wondering why people looked and asked questions. At the age of 6 we took her to her first Alopecia UK event at Alton Towers and she met other kids with alopecia her own age, and felt "normal" and accepted. By the age of 7 when we took her to an Alopecia UK residential activity weekend, she burst out of her shell and has never looked back. To watch Phoebe complete this year’s Junior Charity Champion challenge, one she set herself, had me more emotional than I ever thought possible. This is a little girl who struggles to get out of bed in the morning, yet for a charity so close to her heart she has not only pulled herself out of bed but she then walked a whopping 27.9 miles shouting from the rooftops about Alopecia UK, dressed all in blue. She was proud as punch with a huge smile on her face, handing out homemade merchandise with pride. Raising awareness has helped her battle her own confidence issues. She isn’t just doing it for herself she's doing it for everyone who has ever felt scared, worried and alone.

How did you feel when you were told that Phoebe had won this year’s award?

Overwhelmed and appreciated. Phoebe didn't know about awards, trophies or anything. I nominated her because I think she is amazing but as her Mam, I know I'm biased. To know that the judging panel thought the same as me is something a mother can only dream of. To see her amazing efforts appreciated is something we will remember and celebrate for years to come. something Phoebe can be proud of for life. 

A HUGE congratulations to Phoebe on her much-deserved award, and well done to our runner-up Nell. 

If you would like to add some words of congratulations to Phoebe, there is still time to add a donation and message of support to her latest fundraising page here. 

About the Hannah Dennis Alopecia Awareness Award: Hannah Dennis is a much-loved volunteer and supporter of Alopecia UK who sadly passed away in 2018. Hannah did so much in her life to raise awareness of alopecia after she was diagnosed with alopecia areata at the age of 14, losing all her hair at the age of 16. Alopecia UK is proud to have this award in her name and continue her legacy.