NovemBear - Supporting Children with Vitiligo

Aim

This November, help us raise £2,000 so children and young people with vitiligo feel seen, supported and never alone.

When you're young, seeing someone who looks like you matters.

For children and young people with vitiligo, that can be rare. Vitiligo causes pale patches where the skin has lost its colour. It usually starts before the age of 20, it affects every skin tone, and it's visible. It can bring questions in the playground and stares from strangers before a child has the words to answer them.

This November, we're raising £2,000 so no young person faces vitiligo alone.

Who we are

The Vitiligo Society has supported people living with vitiligo since 1985. We're a small team, and through NovemBear we're focusing on our work with children, young people and families. Our casework supports families of children with vitiligo, so no parent has to work it out on their own, and we give Vitiligo Bears to children who need one.

Why it matters

In our Let's Talk Vitiligo survey of more than 700 people with vitiligo:

• almost two in three said vitiligo harms their mental health
• 46% said it leaves them feeling isolated or depressed
• 38% said they struggle with being stared at or judged
• only 15% felt informed when they were diagnosed

Behind each of those numbers is someone who, very often, first faced it as a child.

Meet the bears

Families asked us for a teddy that looked like their children, so we made one. Big Bear is our original, and our two Mini Bears, tan and brown, each have patches of their own. For a child with vitiligo, a bear that matches them can be the first time they see their skin reflected back at them.

How your money will be used

Every donation supports our work with children, young people and families, and wherever the need is greatest. That includes:

• the Vitiligo Bears we give to children and young people who need one, all year round
• our casework with families of children with vitiligo
• keeping the Society going, so we're here when a family needs us

Choose your thank-you

• Sponsor a Bear, £20: helps us keep giving bears to children who need one
• Mini Bear (tan or brown), £20: posted to you
• Big Bear, £30: posted to you
• Bear Collector, £65: all three bears for £5 less than choosing them separately, posted to you

Bears are posted by 11 December (UK only), in time for Christmas. You can send yours straight to someone you love, or give any amount without a reward.

Our vision

A future where every child with vitiligo has answers from day one, the words for when people ask, people around them who understand, and feels seen exactly as they are. This is the first year we've run NovemBear, and with your help it's the start of something we hope to grow every November.

Can't donate? You can still help

• Share this page with one friend or family member
• Show us your Vitiligo Bear with #NovemBear
• Follow us on social media for Spot the Bear, twice a week through November

Thank you for helping a child with vitiligo feel seen.

The Vitiligo Society

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 1st December 2026 at 11:46am