An investigation by the Charity Commission has found that the charity Mermaids, which supports transgender youth, was mismanaged after a swift period of growth. The two-year inquiry was launched by the regulator following negative stories in the media and 62 public complaints. Although a number of issues with organisation were identified, the probe discovered no evidence to support additional complaints alleging that Mermaids offered medical advice to young people.
Mermaids, set up in 1999, works with approximately 10,000 people a year. It saw rapid growth from earnings of £84,000 in 2016 to nearly £2.3m in 2023. Issues of governance and compliance with charity legislation led to turnover of trustees and concerns about the expansion. The investigation found that Mermaids struggled to handle growth and needs to be more thorough when recruiting trustees.
The Charity Commission recommended that Mermaids actions to appoint a trustee in 2011 that attended a conference hosted by a body that called for the right to live in “truth and dignity” for paedophiles should be reviewed as it could “never have appointed” that trustee. The investigation also found that the charity should involve parents in provision of breast binders if it resumed the service.
Mermaids stated that it has made substantial steps since the start of the investigation to improve oversight, refuting all allegations of misconduct. Including all information and advice given on the former website, the charity has adjusted the available information on puberty blockers to reflect the Cass Review – a report into services for gender-questioning young people commissioned by the NHS and published in April
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