"My support worker Natalie has been lovely to me. She knows all about my struggles."

Courtney entered BCHA supported housing in Plymouth in August 2018 on the day she turned 18.

She had had an extremely difficult childhood and at the age of six she was not only taken into the care of her grandparents, she also lost her hair to alopecia.

“I have continued to have problems over the years, seriously affecting my mental health and self-confidence – and suffering hair loss obviously didn’t make this any easier for me,” she explained.

“I moved into BCHA supported housing in August last year, after my previous placement broke down.

“I had a wig which was donated to me by a charity a while ago, but it had started to develop bare patches and I had been wearing a bandana to hide them.

“My support worker Natalie has been lovely to me. She knows all about my struggles and it was she who suggested we try and get funding or help for a new wig. She also contacted GGs Hair Salon and Beauty in Plymouth which sells wigs and asked whether they could help.”

“BCHA isn’t just a housing association, they reach out and make huge changes to the marginalised. They really do change lives.”

GGs owner Gemma Hayes was deeply moved by Natalie’s call and invited Courtney to go in for a fitting before gifting her a wig she had made herself, from beautiful, auburn, human hair.

“I was very tearful when I saw myself in the wig for the first time,” said Courtney.

“Now I can walk around without my alopecia drawing attention to me.”

“My goal are to get into my own place, to get a job and get settled and sort myself out. I’m really grateful to BCHA and Gemma for my new hair and for helping to get me going in the right direction.”