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Blog — Press Statements

Mermaids Press

Statement

On 25 November 2022 we announced that Susie Green had left Mermaids. Following this, various media outlets reported that Susie has resigned from the organisation due to issues in relation to her leadership of the organisation. This was not correct and this false speculation has been upsetting to Susie, who has been involved with Mermaids for many years. We regret that we did not address this speculation at the time and are sorry for any negative impact this reporting has had on Susie and her family. Throughout her time with the organisation Susie has shown hard work, passion and commitment…

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Mermaids Press

Statement in response to Conservative Party conference

In the last week, senior Conservatives, including the Prime Minister, have used their Party Conference to distract from the real social, economic and environmental issues faced by everyone in the UK by repeatedly sharing transphobic rhetoric and undermining the existence and rights of the trans community. Nothing that has been said is a change to the law, or to the rights of our community, but these statements further legitimise the harassment which many trans young people and their families experience every day in the media, at home, at work, school and online. Trans young people and their families are asking…

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Mermaids Press

New: Mermaids Governance Review by NCVO

Mermaids has been supporting transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse young people to survive and thrive since 1995 and has been a registered charity since 2015. We’ve experienced significant growth and change in that time, and in 2022-23 our income exceeded £2,000,000 for the first time, while we supported over 10,000 individuals.  Given this growth, and following our report into equity, diversity and inclusion, which highlighted significant concerns about governance and leadership at Mermaids, the trustees decided to commission a comprehensive, independent review of our governance. We knew that doing so would invite ever more scrutiny into our organisation at an already…

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Mermaids Press

Statement on the ruling in Mermaids v Charity Commission and LGB Alliance

In June 2021, Mermaids, supported by a coalition of LGBT+ organisations, appealed the decision by the Charity Commission to register LGB Alliance (LGBA) as a charity. We argued that LGBA shouldn’t be recognised as a charity because it was focused on hostile anti-trans activism and not (as it claimed) on the promotion of lesbian, gay and bisexual rights.  The hearing took place over seven days in September and November 2022, and the Tribunal handed down its decision on Thursday 6 July 2023. Their decision is that Mermaids doesn’t have legal standing to bring the appeal. Standing in this context is…

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Mermaids Press

NHS England announcement on updated timeline for Hubs and GIDS: Mermaids’ response

NHS England’s updates today gave much welcomed clarity on the current and future provision of youth gender health services, but we remain concerned about the ever-growing waiting times.  What has NHSE said?  “Following the further advice Dr Cass’ provided in July 2022, NHS England set out plans for how it would start building a more resilient service by expanding provision and enhancing the focus on quality in terms of clinical effectiveness, safety, and patient experience. These plans were welcomed and supported by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. The first phase in these plans is to establish two new…

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Mermaids Press

Statement on EDI at Mermaids

In 2022, Mermaids decided to carry out a frank and honest appraisal of our internal culture and how we measure up in terms of equity, diversity and inclusion and to understand oppression which our staff experienced. We thank our staff for their honesty and bravery throughout this process. An independent external report which we commissioned has highlighted a number of significant challenges for us. Today we are sharing the recommendations from this report and the next steps which the team are already taking.  We know we must do better and we are absolutely committed to doing so, and are implementing…

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Mermaids Press

Mermaids appoints interim CEO

Mermaids has appointed an interim CEO, who will be joining the charity this week.  Lauren Stoner (she/her) has spent most of her career working in health and social care with a focus on person-centred support, rights, and voice. Her career to date has focused on fundraising and policy change, ensuring that disabled people and abuse survivors have the right support. Lauren has also been involved in developing and supporting partnerships with providers, commissioners and others across the statutory, voluntary, and community sector. She lives in Nottingham with her partner and their pet rats. In a letter to staff, supporters and…

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Mermaids Press

Statement on Charity Commission inquiry

Earlier this year Mermaids decided to carry out a frank and honest appraisal of our internal culture and how we measure up in terms of equity, diversity and inclusion. As part of this process, we commissioned an independent external report which highlighted a number of significant challenges for us. We know we must do better and we are absolutely committed to doing so, and will be implementing the report’s recommendations as a priority. The charity has an unwavering commitment to safeguarding which is, and always will be, our top priority. We will continue to cooperate fully, openly and with complete…

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Mermaids Press

Susie Green leaves Mermaids

Mermaids CEO Susie Green has left the charity after six years in charge. Chair of Trustees Belinda Bell said: “The Trustees are very grateful to Susie for everything she has done over the last six years to support trans, non-binary and gender-diverse young people and their families, and to build Mermaids into the organisation it is today. “We wish her all the best for the future.” An interim CEO will be appointed shortly. 

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Mermaids Press

Mermaids’ appeal against the LGB Alliance’s charity status: Day 7

We were back in court today for the final day of the hearing of Mermaids versus the Charity Commission regarding the charitable status of LGB Alliance.  The day began with submissions from Karon Monaghan KC, representing LGBA. She addressed the charitable objects of LGBA as set out in its Articles of Association, which she argued were “clear and unambiguous”, suggesting that there was no need to look beyond the words on the page. She argued that LGBA is involved in a lot of work that has nothing to do with trans rights and that while the group engages in political…

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