Speakers announced for World Vitiligo Day 2024 celebration
Join us for our free annual World Vitiligo Day celebration! On 25th June, at 7pm our trustee Natalie will be hosting a number of incredible speakers sharing information, tips and advice on how to live well with vitiligo.
The event takes place over Zoom, so you can join us from the comfort of your own home – wherever you live in the world. You are welcome to join us and dip in and out to listen to the speakers that interest you. This year, we welcome an incredible mix of experts and community ambassadors from around the UK to share their knowledge, experience and personal stories with you. Keep scrolling for more details!
Expert Talk: Keeping vitiligo skin safe in the sunshine
Dr Alia Ahmed
Dr Alia Ahmed joins us to talk about sun safety and vitiligo. She will be discussing the importance of using sunscreen, helping us to understand the difference between UVA and UVB protection, how to best protect children’s skin, and basically everything someone with vitiligo needs to know to stay safe this summer!
Dr Alia Ahmed is a Consultant Dermatologist and Site Clinical Lead for Dermatology at Frimley Health Foundation Trust. She is also an Honorary Consultant at Barts Health NHS Trust. Dr Ahmed graduated from Barts and the Royal London School of Medicine in 2008 and completed her Dermatology training in London, including a research fellowship in Psychodermatology, becoming a consultant in 2017. She also has a BSc in Psychology with Clinical Psychology. In addition to her NHS work, Dr Ahmed is a visiting lecturer in Psychodermatology at the University of Hertfordshire. She is active in research and has presented internationally, as well as having several peer-reviewed publications and a research fellowship with the UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network. Dr Ahmed is on the executive committee for Psychodermatology UK, and a spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation, as well as a contributor to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Skin.
“How I worked through my skin insecurities to embrace and show my vitiligo”
Aimee McKay
Aimee spent her teenage years feeling insecure about her appearance, particularly with her vitiligo. Aimee joins us to discuss her transformation from a self-conscious teen to being named Miss Great Britain Glasgow 2023, sharing her tips for finding inner strength, being body confident and embracing vitiligo.
Miss Great Britain Glasgow Aimeé McKay is 28 years old and described winning the Scottish regional crown and representing Scotland on the most prestigious stage in Britain is an achievement she will forever be proud of. She uses her campaign “Perfectly Imperfect” to show the younger generation and anyone with self esteem issues that you can stand up and be counted for being you. Aimee is a hairdresser and social butterfly who loves spending time with family and friends.
Introducing Vitiligo Allies, the power of bringing people together
Reuben Sam and Nirjeet Singh
Vitiligo Society Ambassadors Reuben and Nirjeet join us to discuss their recent support group meetings in Manchester, and provide guidance for anyone thinking about arranging a local meet-up with other vitiligo community members.
Speaker bio: Reuben’s journey as an international model and entrepreneur has been deeply shaped by his experiences with vitiligo, beginning at the age of 3 and extending through his childhood, teenage years, and into adulthood. Throughout this journey, Reuben has faced and overcome numerous challenges associated with his condition, leading him to become a passionate advocate for vitiligo awareness, self-acceptance, and the importance of mental well-being.
Nirjeet works with brands and organisations to raise awareness of vitiligo and improve their representation. His Instagram page ‘The Vitiligo Sikh’ has over 10,000+ followers from around the world. Nirjeet believes education is really important and is committed to raising awareness and helping people within the vitiligo community to find each other and find a safe space where they can embrace and love themselves. (fine with it)
Expert Talk: How to maintain positive relationships when supporting someone with vitiligo
Joti Gata-Aura and Professor Andrew Thompson
Author and Vitiligo Society Ambassador Joti is joined by Consultant Clinical Psychologist Professor Andrew Thompson to talk about how best to maintain relationships and provide support to a friend or loved one with vitiligo. When someone is living with vitiligo it can put pressure on family and other relationships as parents and friends navigate conversations around diagnosis, treatment and potential social and psychological impacts. This talk is for anyone who us supporting someone with vitiligo to help with positive adjustment.
Professor Andrew Thompson is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with over thirty years of experience of working in the NHS. He is currently the Director of the South Wales Clinical Psychology training programme, which trains clinical psychologists in collaboration with Health Boards in South, Mid, and West Wales. He has authored several articles specifically focused on psychosocial aspects of vitiligo. He has supported the work of a number of skin and burn care related charities both internationally and within the UK, and he is a lead author of the Wiley clinical psychology textbook on working with appearance concern. He has supported a grant application from the founder of VITSAF in Nigeria to visit the UK, and was the lead psychological advisor to the UK 2020 All Party Parliamentary Group on Skin Mental Health Report.
Joti Gata-Aura is a British Asian and brought up in the UK. She is a vitiligo Society Ambassador and runs the ‘Positively Diverse’ social media campaign, which champions better representation in the media for those with visible differences and disabilities. She currently works as a teacher and recently published a memoir Strong in the Skin I’m in, which discusses her experience of living with vitiligo.
Follow Joti on social: @positivelydiverse
“Vitiligo and my Indian identity”
Gurdeep Romanay
Vitiligo Society Ambassador Gurdeep finds that not many people realise that she’s Indian. The reality is that she has had vitiligo for over 38 years. Gurdeep will be sharing her journey of going from brown to “patchy” to white skin and how it’s impacted her Indian identity.
Gurdeep Romanay is 48 and lives in Berkshire. She’s embraced her vitiligo for over 38 years and is an advocate in positive body image. Her involvement in the Vitiligo Society spans many years, and most recently she has played a key role in the charity’s #LetsTalkVitiligo campaign.
Follow Gurdeep on Instagram.
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