Children aged 5 to 18 years and their families, enjoyed a weekend of making new friends, attending workshops and learning on November 18 and 19 at Taronga Western Plains Zoo. 

The Camp was organised by the Australia Alopecia Areata Foundation (AAAF) in partnership with Variety - the Children’s Charity NSW/ACT.

The camp was funded by Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation through a $74,800 grant, which ensures children affected by alopecia have access to high quality fitted real hair wigs and  other opportunities like the Alopecia Areata Adventure Camp.

Medical hair loss can have enormous psychological impact, particularly for young people.

Even a child with a healthy self-concept may feel threatened resulting in a loss of self-image, confidence and self-esteem, which can impact their education, social networks and overall health.

Variety NSW CEO David Sexton said the cost of high quality fitted wigs can be out of reach of many families and Variety is committed to helping as many kids living with childhood alopecia as possible.

“A human-hair wig typically costs three to six thousand dollars,” Mr Sexton said.

Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation Chairman Phil Neat said it was important kids had access to services that support emotional wellbeing.

“For a young person already dealing with a medical condition like alopecia or cancer, this program provides important support for self-confidence and emotional and social wellbeing,” Mr Neat said.