After leading Mermaids for nearly three years, Lauren Stoner will be leaving the charity on 5th September. Lauren joined the charity on an interim basis in 2022 to guide Mermaids through the Charity Commission’s Statutory Inquiry. We are deeply grateful for Lauren’s expertise, hard work and dedication during that challenging period, and we wish her the very best for the future.

With recruitment now well underway for Mermaids’ next permanent CEO, there will be a short transition period. We are pleased to announce that, with the approval of the Charity Commission, Kathryn Downs, former Chair of Mermaids, has stepped down from her trustee role to become Interim CEO.

We are also delighted to confirm that Hardeep Aiden, a current trustee, has been appointed as the new Chair of Mermaids.

In addition, we are excited to welcome Paula Puxty to the new role of Chief Operating Officer. Paula joins the charity full time from October.  

Over the coming weeks, we will be developing a refreshed operational plan for the remainder of the financial year as we ready ourselves for the arrival of a new Chief Executive and the next exciting phase of Mermaids’ work in delivery of our 2024-27 Strategy, supporting trans, non-binary and gender diverse young people and their families across the UK.

We would like to thank our staff, volunteers, supporters and our wider community for their passion and commitment. Your support is vital to ensuring Mermaids can continue to support and empower trans young people and their families, and it is hugely appreciated.