Mermaids

Mermaids We are a UK charity supporting trans, non-binary and gender diverse young people and their families. We also provide training and support to professionals.

Mermaids is a UK-based charity offering support to trans children and young people and their families. Mermaids provides helpline, webchat and email support services, secure online forums for parents and teens, training into schools, social services, and many other agencies supporting children, residential family weekends, local groups nationwide, campaigning and advocacy services. Founded in 1995

by a small group of parents, Mermaids is now one of the leading LGBTQIA+ charities in the UK, providing much-needed support to thousands of families with trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming children.

That's a wrap on Miles for Mermaids 2026! We want to say a huge congratulations to every incredible person who took on t...
02/06/2026

That's a wrap on Miles for Mermaids 2026! We want to say a huge congratulations to every incredible person who took on the challenge in May.👏

Thank you so much for dedicating your time and energy to help ensure that trans young people and their families can continue to access Mermaids' support when they need it most. 🏳️‍⚧️

Together, you travelled over 9,000 miles and raised over ÂŁ20,000 to support our vital services for trans youth. But the donations are still rolling in, and we'll announce a grand total later this month!

We have loved seeing snaps from your challenge, of walks in the sunshine with friends and pets, miles at the gym, and more. And we've loved hearing what the challenge, and Mermaids, means to you. Please keep tagging us in your photos as you round up your fundraising. We really do love to see it. ♥️

Applause in the comments please for our Miles for Mermaids challengers👏👏👏

Have you seen our mer-mazing new Pride tee, courtesy of DOM&INK? Shop before midnight and enjoy ✨free delivery✨ on your ...
31/05/2026

Have you seen our mer-mazing new Pride tee, courtesy of DOM&INK? Shop before midnight and enjoy ✨free delivery✨ on your order: https://bit.ly/4wUO2v9

Rep your support for trans rights and support Mermaids’ vital services for trans young people and their families this Pride season. 🏳️‍⚧️

Have you seen our brand-new Pride tee? You can wear your pride and support young trans lives in time for Pride season, w...
30/05/2026

Have you seen our brand-new Pride tee? You can wear your pride and support young trans lives in time for Pride season, with Mermaids and DOM&INK 🏳️‍⚧️

Plus, enjoy FREE delivery until midnight on Sunday✨ Shop now via the link in our bio.

All profits go towards our vital work supporting trans young people and their families. 🩷

Where will you be wearing your tee? Tell us in the comments ⬇️

This Pride season feels poignant for us. Our community is facing constant hostility from certain politicians and the med...
29/05/2026

This Pride season feels poignant for us. Our community is facing constant hostility from certain politicians and the media who would rather trans people weren’t part of public life. But we’re here with a loud message for those people – we aren’t going anywhere.

We’ll continue standing up for our rights, and coming together under the disco lights, this Pride and every Pride. 🏳️‍⚧️🩷

We’re so proud to be teaming up with the mer-mazing DOM&INK to bring you this exclusive design, celebrating trans joy. All profits from this collaboration help us keep our vital services for trans youth and their families up and running, from our Support Line, to our Community Groups and youth advocacy programs and events. Shop now for ✨free delivery✨: https://mermaidsstore.com/collection/pride-2026/

Are you a teacher or RHSE lead who’s wondering how you can better support LGBTQ+ young people? 🏳️‍⚧️Join us next Wednesd...
27/05/2026

Are you a teacher or RHSE lead who’s wondering how you can better support LGBTQ+ young people? 🏳️‍⚧️
Join us next Wednesday for a bespoke 1-hour training session on how to teach the updated RHSE curriculum in a way that’s inclusive to all students.

You’ll leave the session with a better understanding of:
🏳️‍⚧️How these changes affect teaching around LGBTQ+ identities, particularly trans and gender diverse identities
🧠How this guidance differs from the previous draft version (issued in 2024)
🌈How to counter pushback to inclusive teaching

Join us on Wednesday 3rd June from 4:30-5:30pm for a one-off session of this brand-new module. Places are ÂŁ50 per head, with all proceeds funding our vital services supporting trans youth.

To book your place, get in touch via our website: https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/training/

Tag a teacher below who you think might be interested ⬇️

We are sending love and solidarity to our community following the release of the EHRC’s reprehensible new code of practi...
26/05/2026

We are sending love and solidarity to our community following the release of the EHRC’s reprehensible new code of practice last week. The new code fails completely to protect equality for trans people, instead taking a discriminatory approach not dissimilar to the previous draft. Forcing trans people into third spaces not only risks outing them: often these spaces are not available or sufficient, denying trans people access to vital services, and the ability to take part in public life.

Moreover, the code fails to deliver true clarity on how organisations can be inclusive of trans people. In delivering more questions than answers, this version of the code is not fit for purpose and will likely have to be tested through case law, leaving trans people’s rights hanging in the balance.

It’s a small consolation that the guidance appears to leave room for associations and clubs to cater to multiple protected characteristics – for example, including both trans and cis women. We are cautiously optimistic that organisations may be able to resume or continue including trans and non-binary people as a result.

In these crucial coming weeks, we will continue working with our allies to push for better legal frameworks that truly uphold equality.

Know that we are here for you if you need to talk to someone about how you’re feeling. Our support line is open from 1pm-8:30pm on weekdays: Call 0808 801 0400, or head to our website for webchat support: https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/support-line/

26/05/2026

We want to ensure education is inclusive for everyone, including LGBTQ+ people. Join us for a session on how to deliver LGBTQ+ inclusive RHSE ahead of the new September curriculum, online on Wednesday 3rd June from 4:30-5:30pm.

Places are just ÂŁ50 and fund our vital services supporting trans youth and their families. Book your place today: https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/training/

Are you a teacher or RHSE lead who’s wondering how you can better support LGBTQ+ young people? 🏳️‍⚧️We may have just wha...
20/05/2026

Are you a teacher or RHSE lead who’s wondering how you can better support LGBTQ+ young people? 🏳️‍⚧️
We may have just what you’re looking for: a bespoke 1-hour training session on teaching the updated RHSE curriculum in a way that’s inclusive to all students.

You’ll leave the session with a better understanding of:
🏳️‍⚧️How these changes affect teaching around LGBTQ+ identities, particularly trans and gender diverse identities
🧠How this guidance differs from the previous draft version (issued in 2024)
🌈How to counter pushback to inclusive teaching

Join us on Wednesday 3rd June from 4:30-5:30pm for a one-off session of this brand-new module. To book your place, get in touch via our website: https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/training/

Tag a teacher below who you think might be interested ⬇️

“My son, who is now six, was exploring his gender and talking to us about gender identity from age three. That’s when I ...
13/05/2026

“My son, who is now six, was exploring his gender and talking to us about gender identity from age three. That’s when I started looking for support and found Mermaids. So, I joined the parents’ forum first and attended the What Now? Course too. After a few months, we went to our first Mermaids Community Group in London.

It was so wonderful for my child to see other children that he could relate to, because he has not had a chance to meet other children like him in any other part of our life. It was amazing to see him feel like he was not alone. Now, he’s absolutely thriving and confident, and loves coming to the group every month and seeing his friends there.

When I joined the group, there was only one regular volunteer. I love helping facilitate things and bringing people together. Whenever anybody new turned up, I was already trying to make sure they felt included and that they had all the information. So, it just felt natural for me to become a Mermaids volunteer as well.

"My favourite thing about volunteering is helping the families have that space where they can find community in other people they identify with.

I see my child and the others at the group have a wonderful time, having a sense of belonging and being like the others in group. It brings me pride and a lot of satisfaction to help support and foster that for other families.

I think Mermaids’ Community Groups are particularly important right now because UK politics feel so hostile and volatile right now. It feels strange that ten or fifteen years ago, things didn’t seem as negative in the media as they are now.

So, it seems extremely important for us to have a place to connect and ask for support and advice. It feels like having this community is more important than ever before.”

This week, we’re bringing hope into the open. And not just a little bit of hope. One Million Acts of Hope.
We’re proud to share Lily (she/her)’s story today. We are so lucky to have incredible volunteers like Lily, who make hope happen for families every month by showing up, bringing people together, and making them feel welcome.

Don’t let hope go unnoticed. Tag a hopeful in the comments 🩷

“I believe our legacy is the change we make. At the end of the day, I want to leave this world a better place than I fou...
13/05/2026

“I believe our legacy is the change we make. At the end of the day, I want to leave this world a better place than I found it.

So, if I can be in a room for three hours once a month with trans kids who are just having fun, that gives them a space to just be themselves… that’s such a small commitment in terms of my time, but such a big thing for them.

My role at Mermaids’ Community Group in Bristol is mostly making sure people feel included. When new families join, I ask them how they’re doing, and get them joining in with activities.

It’s very chill vibes – we have crafts, friendship bracelets, paper and pens, Lego and stuff. The children can pick up whatever they want to do, and adults can chat, or get involved in the crafts themselves. We have around 25 people attending, including parents and children aged from about 12 to 17.

My favourite part of volunteering at the group is just seeing kids being kids. So much of the dialogue in the media around the trans community can be negative.

These children can’t be fully ignorant to the realities of the propaganda against their community and existence in the media, and from certain politicians. I can’t imagine being that age and experiencing all this nonsense.

Mermaids’ community groups are evidence that what they’re saying is not true. We’re giving them a space where they don’t have to think about all of that, and where any mention of being trans is positive.
These young people happen to be trans, but first and foremost they just want to have a good time and make friends.

Joy in and of itself is important. Seeing trans kids being silly and chaotic, seeing the joy in the room and children just being around other children who get it is delightful.”

This week, we’re bringing hope into the open. And not just a little bit of hope. One Million Acts of Hope. We’re celebrating the hopefuls who bring people together. Who make communities more welcoming. Who are proud to be where they are.

First up is the amazing Bakes (she/they), one of our Community Group volunteers.

Don’t let hope go unnoticed. Tag a hopeful in the comments 🩷

Address

Rawdon

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 9pm
Tuesday 9am - 9pm
Wednesday 9am - 9pm
Thursday 9am - 9pm
Friday 9am - 9pm

Telephone

+448088010400

Website

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