Mermaids is a support group originally formed in 1995 by a group of parents who were brought together as a result of their children's longstanding Gender Identity Issues.

We have supported each other and our children through the difficulties and trauma that gender issues commonly bring to families.

We identified a need to form a support group to help other families, children, and teenagers in similar situations.

Our membership has grown, and we now have a number of new parents, plus young transmen and transwoman on our committee.

Over the years we have built up alliances with other organisations across the UK, and in some cases internationally, to try to support, educate, and alleviate suffering.

GIRES

GIRES (Gender Identity Research and Education Society) was founded in 1997, and GIRES' primary mission is to improve the circumstances in which trans people live, by changing the way that society treats them.

Accordingly, its aim is to generate supportive attitudes among all those who can make those improvements happen, including politicians, other policy makers, clinicians, the providers of commercial and government services including the police, teachers, employers, and journalists, as well as other family members.

We are proud to have built up a longstanding partnership with GIRES, and we worked extensively with them on their Toolkit for Schools on Combating Transphobic Bullying, and their NHS booklet on Medical Care for Gender Variant children and young people.

Action for Childen

We are working with Action for Children to try raise awareness of gender dysphoria, and how this affects children and adolescents. To visit the Action for Children website click here to go to the page for Identity - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual.

Training

We have been involved in speaking at conferences, presenting at local and national venues, plus training and support for health professionals, schools, colleges, police forces plus more.
If you need help, or someone to speak at a venue or provide training please contact us and we may be able to provide a committee member for this purpose, rates upon application.