Mermaids

Break through the isolation

Being transgender can be incredibly isolating both for the person and the family who support them. Don’t be alone, reach out to Mermaids who can put you in touch with others. Make new friends and share experiences.

Formed in 1995 by a group of parents brought together by their children’s longstanding gender incongruence, Mermaids has evolved and grown to meet demand and offer appropriate resources to young people, their families and carers, and professionals working with gender variant young people. Formed primarily as a support group, our focus has widened dramatically over the last few years.

Mermaids supports children and young people up to 20 years old who are gender diverse, and their families, and professionals involved in their care.

It is difficult to know how many people are affected, but the Equality and Human Rights Commission undertook a survey in 2012 of 10,000 people, which indicated that around 1% were dealing with gender variance to some degree.

We work to:

• Reduce isolation and loneliness for parents and young people dealing with gender issues.
• Empower families and young people with the tools they need to negotiate the education and health services.
• Reduce suicidality and self-harm in the young people who contact Mermaids, equip their parents to support their children to the same end.
• Improve self-esteem and social functioning in young people suffering with gender issues.
• Improve awareness, understanding and practices of GP’s, CAMHS, Social Services and other professionals.