A Greater Manchester youth charity that has seen the number of young people seeking its help soar by 171% is aiming to raise enough money to fund 1,500 hours of support this Pride.

The charity said that following the UK Supreme Court judgment on how a woman should be defined in law, The Proud Trust saw a 171% increase in referrals - almost all of which were for trans and non-binary young people.

placeholder image — The Proud Place | Google

Kate Heppell, business development and partnerships manager at The Proud Trust, said: “We have seen a sudden and clear increase in demand for our support from LGBTQ+ young people who have been affected by the Supreme Court ruling.”

Adding: “Young people are worried that they won't be able to play their favourite sports with their friends, or unsure if they can attend activities because they don't know if they'll have access to something as simple as a toilet.”

The Proud Trust supports young people across the North West through youth groups and mentoring programmes and provides support nationally through its Proud Connections Live Chat service and inclusion training programmes.

The charity said that in the two weeks before the Supreme Court ruling, 46% of chats were about gender identity and in the two weeks after the ruling that number almost doubled to 83%.

One of the young people who attends the charity’s Proud Young Adults youth group said: “The Proud Trust has done wonders for young people like me who are going through some of the worst times. Politics aside, going through puberty is terrifying, let alone as an LGBTQ+ individual, but these youth groups give us the space to feel like 'normal' teenagers, 'normal' children, letting us just be us.”

Another said: “Without LGBTQ+ youth groups, we’re all divided. When controversy comes our way, it’s an easy way for us to come together and make sure that we’re all safe."

Supporters and friends of The Proud Trust at Manchester Pride

Kate also said: “If someone sees their GP at 16, they might not be seen by a specialist until their early twenties so it can be a really long wait.”

Adding: “All of our youth groups have a lot of trans young people in them, and our young people have close friends who are trans, so all our young people care really deeply about trans rights, and the negative media messaging is really affecting them, they want to push back on that.”

In a bid to help reach its target of funding 1,500 hours of support, The Proud Trust is appealing for more supporters to raise donations through the easyfundraising website and app where it is a registered cause.

Once supporters have signed up to easyfundraising and chosen The Proud Trust as their cause the retailers they shop with via the easyfundraising website – from John Lewis to Just Eat - will automatically donate a percentage of their purchase to The Proud Trust without adding any extra expense to their bill.

Money raised through Easyfundraising during June, July and August will go towards the charity’s Pride season fundraising campaign. To date The Proud Trust has raised £2,000 through easyfundraising.

You can support The Proud Trust using the easyfundraising website or app.