In July, the Department of Education released new statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, for schools and colleges in England. This guidance will come into effect on 1st September 2026. The guidance covers various topics, from single-sex facilities to social transition and more, which will impact how schools and colleges can support trans, non-binary and gender diverse students. Much of the language around trans children and young people in this guidance is confusing and contradictory. We know that will make it more difficult for schools and colleges to be confidently supportive of trans students. So, ahead of the autumn…
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Eli (they/them) Mermaids Youth Advisory Panellist, Youth Engagement Volunteer, and lifelong Guider, explains why Girlguiding’s exclusion of trans girls and women is contradictory to the organisation’s message. Girlguiding (previously The Guide Association), is a UK based youth organisation established in 1910. In 2026, the organisation consists of around 300,000 young members from the ages of 4-18. Alongside this, an estimated 80,000 adult volunteers keep these groups running. In the past, Girlguiding has been a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth. They have warmly welcomed trans and gender non-conforming individuals from all backgrounds. Whether this be a trans girl wanting to be…
This Volunteers’ Week we want to spotlight all our incredible volunteers who keep our vital services for trans young people and their families up and running. Today, we’re sharing Jaimie (she/her)’s volunteering story. A while ago, a friend sent me a social media post from Mermaids looking for volunteers to run Community Groups. I’m trans myself and I thought it would be really rewarding to do something to help the local trans community where I live. I’m a neurodivergent person who is quite introverted, so those first couple of groups I attended were a little bit difficult. I was very…
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…
For World Earth Day, MANGO member Newton (he/him) calls on his community to get involved in climate action and connect with nature.
On 12 Feb, the Department for Education opened a consultation on proposed changes to the statutory guidance Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE). This draft guidance makes new recommendations in relation to trans, non-binary and gender diverse students. This new draft leaves gaps and raises further questions, and we believe some of the recommendations, which would become statutory guidance, pose risks to the wellbeing of trans children and young people. Wellbeing of the child The draft guidance recommends that when a child requests support with social transition from their school, that schools should be flexible and respond by considering the “best…
“Since Girlguiding moved to exclude trans young women and girls from their membership last week, we’ve heard from many young people and parents on our support line who have already felt the significant emotional impact of this decision. We are deeply saddened and disappointed that Girlguiding, and the Women’s Institute who closely followed, felt compelled to exclude trans girls and women from their organisations following the Supreme Court ruling and the EHRC’s interim guidance, which has now been withdrawn. It is a great shame that young trans women and girls will no longer have access to the vital connection and…
The NHS yesterday released further information about two new clinical trials into the use and effectiveness of puberty blockers for young transgender people. Jo Hardy, CEO of Mermaids said: “While we welcome the start of the long awaited puberty blocker clinical trial, it is disappointing to see that only a very small number of trans young people who are prepared to take part in an intrusive clinical trial will be able to access this treatment, and others will have to wait a year before their part of the trial commences. Whilst we acknowledge that not all trans young people want…
Trans Awareness Week, which falls every 13th-19th November, is for our community to share their stories and experiences, and for allies to show up and amplify advocacy around issues of prejudice, discrimination, and violence that impact the trans community.This Trans Awareness Week is especially important for us, because it marks 30 years of Mermaids. We’ve come so far since 1995, when Mermaids was only a group of parents around a kitchen table. Now, we support thousands of trans children and young people, their loved ones, and professionals involved in their care, every year. We’re celebrating this amazing achievement by sharing…
Mermaids appoints Johanna Hardy as new Chief Executive Officer Mermaids, the UK charity supporting transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse children, young people and their families, is delighted to announce the appointment of Johanna Hardy (she/her) as its new Chief Executive Officer. Jo will be taking up the role in November 2025, bringing more than 20 years of leadership experience in the charity sector. Her career includes senior roles at Young Minds, Gingerbread, Contact and Mencap, with a strong focus on children, families, mental health and marginalised communities. Over the course of her career, Jo has led national helplines, face-to-face family…