MERMAIDS
Registered charity 1160575 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register
Mermaids overarching aim is to create a world where gender diverse children and young people can be themselves and thrive; to this end, our goal is to relieve the mental and emotional stress of all those aged 19 years and under who are transgender, nonbinary and gender variant, as well as to promote education and awareness.
Causes: Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity ended the financial year with a negative net asset position of £33,056, including unrestricted reserves of (£100,178). This resulted from a deficit of £259,280, driven by a significant drop in income following a Charity Commission Statutory Inquiry, although expenditure was also reduced. The trustees report that a restructure in the subsequent period has returned the charity to a surplus-generating position, with forecasts indicating a return to positive reserves by March 2027.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £-100k; policy: three months)
“Based on budgeted expenditure for 2025-26, Mermaids was not compliant with its reserves policy at the end of 2024/25. The charity had negative free reserves (unrestricted funds less tangible fixed assets) of (£100,451) at 31 March 2025, against a reserve target of £250,528.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by PEM Audit Limited. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
Charity Commission inquiry
The Charity Commission opened an inquiry following public complaints and media coverage regarding the charity's services and alleged external ties, which was escalated to a statutory inquiry after an internal review highlighted cultural and operational concerns. The Commission found mismanagement in governance, culture, and trustee recruitment, but upheld no evidence of providing medical advice or holding inappropriate ties to the Tavistock Trust. The inquiry concluded with statutory advice issued to the trustees regarding website accuracy and future service controls, which the charity has acted upon.
The report states the inquiry was opened due to public complaints and media coverage regarding chest-binding services, online support, and alleged ties to the Tavistock Trust, which were escalated to a statutory inquiry following an EDI review.
“In September 2022, the Commission opened a regulatory compliance case into the charity after complaints were made by the public, and highlighted in the media.”
The report concludes that poor governance amounted to mismanagement, citing failures in addressing culture, trustee due diligence, and HR policy adherence.
“The inquiry report makes a number of findings of mismanagement, including around trustees failing to: address internal issues around culture and inclusivity at the charity”
The report found the charity did not provide medical advice, make unapproved referrals, hold inappropriate ties to the Tavistock, or lack safeguarding policies.
“The Commission did not uphold all concerns raised about the charity. The inquiry found no evidence that the charity: provided medical advice, which would have been outside its charitable purposes”
Per the Commission’s
published report. Summary is automated; the official report is authoritative.
Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Mermaids (matched by registered charity number).
Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£186k
Reported reserves equal ~0.0 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (97% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.
Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 13.9% of total income — above the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).
Register events
- Received assets from another charity (25/08/2026) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Received assets from another charity (15/09/2016) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Hardeep Aidenchair
- Corey Lynn Stoughton
- Dr TONY CLIVE HOCKLEY
- Kathryn Downs
- Matthew Maddocks
- Ruth Chapple
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales
Income and spending
Common questions
Is MERMAIDS financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity ended the financial year with a negative net asset position of £33,056, including unrestricted reserves of (£100,178). This resulted from a deficit of £259,280, driven by a significant drop in income following a Charity Commission Statutory Inquiry, although expenditure was also reduced. The trustees report that a restructure in the subsequent period has returned the charity to a surplus-generating position, with forecasts indicating a return to positive reserves by March 2027. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by PEM Audit Limited.
Who funds MERMAIDS?
Funders whose own accounts filings name MERMAIDS as a grant recipient include JINGLE JAM, The William Brake Foundation, THE EVAN CORNISH FOUNDATION, THE WILLIE AND MABEL MORRIS CHARITABLE TRUST.
Known funders
Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
Funders of similar charities
Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.
Charities like this
Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with GENDERED INTELLIGENCE.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.