Talk to us!
Our parents forum has grown from a starting point of 9 members to over 1,000. The forum is a safe space for you to ask questions, talk about how you are doing, and share experiences with others in the same or similar circumstances to you. It is very important that we are respectful of one another and the group is a wonderful place to find community and allay fears. Through access to the forum, you can also find out more and sign up to our ‘What Now?’ parents workshop programme, our in person family meet up groups around the country, our weekly online parents peer spaces and our book club, as well as events, family days and residentials.
It operates through an email service so we will ask you for a valid email address.
To ensure the forum is safe and secure we will ask you for a phone number, so that we can call you to talk some more about what you’re looking for from the forum and to confirm your identity before we can approve you to join. We’ll explain the process in an email and arrange a time that suits you. The call will be from a withheld number, to maintain confidentiality.
If you would like to join the parents forum we will ask you to read and agree to follow the rules and code of conduct, plus supply us with a certain amount of personal information so we can verify your identity and make sure that your application is genuine. This will include one of the following, from within the last 3 months with your current address, other than current driving licence, or council tax bill which would need to be from the current year:
- Utility bill with your full name and address shown
- Current driving licence with your full name and address shown
- Bank or credit card statement with full name and address shown
- Council tax bill with full name and address shown
- HMRC letter or statement with full name and address shown
We know this might feel a bit daunting, but we take the safety and security of our groups very seriously, for your protection, and to allow you to post and ask questions with the knowledge that to the best of our abilities, your information is confidential. The information is accessed by members of our Support Line moderation team only and destroyed after the application has been checked thoroughly.
Why do we need this?
We have had people trying to access this group for their own reasons, when they are neither parents or carers, and we want the forum space to be one which feels safe and supportive. We apologise if this process seems intrusive, however we believe it is necessary to protect your interests, and try to avoid this happening to the Mermaids community.
To apply, follow this link and complete the form to request to join the group. Please complete all of the fields to ensure we can progress your application.
This group is open to parents and carers of gender diverse and/or transgender young people up to and including the age of 19. There is no lower age limit.
We look forward to welcoming you into our online forum community!
Complete online form to join