Parents & Carers
Allsorts not only supports children & young people but parents and carers too. You can access support, meet with other parents and carers and find out how we can help you and your child.
About
Our parents group grew out of a need for parents of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender children and young people to meet and offer each other support and friendship.
It was formerly known as Sara’s Group in memory of Sara Taverner who started the group and sadly passed away only a short time after it first began.
It quickly became clear to group members that parents and carers of transgender and gender-exploring children and young people had a particular need for a safe and nurturing space to meet and share their experiences and knowledge. A decision was made to then focus the group on that need.
Since the group began in 2013 it has grown hugely over that time. We are supported by Allsorts Youth Project which provides financial support, advice and information to the group. We always have a member of the Allsorts team at our group meetings.
Allsorts provides support and help to our children and young people from primary school age right up until they turn 26 through our various age related groups:
- Primary School Age: Kids Group which runs monthly on Saturday mornings
- Secondary School Age: TAG a fortnightly LGBTU group
- College Age: Drop-in runs weekly and our monthly Transformers group (specifically for trans and gender-exploring young people) which both provide support for our over 16’s, up until they turn 26.
Our parent’s group meets monthly and is run and organised by parents and carers who share an experience of supporting our transgender and gender-exploring children and young people. The group also has a private Facebook page for us to share information, news and provide support to each other.
Our Aims
- A group in which you can find new friends
- A safe and supportive environment to share experiences and information in confidence.
- A place to give and receive understanding without judgement.
- A group both in person and on Facebook within which we share a basic understanding that our children and young people deserve our support and where, even though we may at times struggle with our feelings as parents and carers, we believe our children and young people’s feelings and choices are valid.
- A group that decides together what kinds of information and resources we want to draw upon.
- A group that works together to fundraise to help support the running costs
- A group that provides a stakeholder voice for our families with local services such as education and health
What we don't do
- Provide or subscribe to one explanation of why our children and young people are transgender or gender-exploring
- Accept language (used in the group or on the Facebook page) that is transphobic
Each meeting is attended by approximately 15 parents and it is a friendly, supportive and inclusive group where strong friendships are made and a place where new members are always welcomed.
Get in touch...
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"Thank you to everyone at Allsorts for being so ruddy amazing. You are all so supportive and I know that my son relishes an environment where he can explore who he is. We gain so much from coming along and talking to other parents… we’re always swapping stories, advice, listening and telephone numbers!
I don’t know how we would have survived or navigated the past few years without you all."
PARENT - KIDS GROUP
"My child and I are so grateful for all your help and support; sometimes, as I am sure you see and have experienced, it is hard to know where to turn for the very precious voice of reason, experience, knowledge and above all understanding."
TAG PARENT
"I don't think we would be in the position we are in now if it hadn't been for Allsorts. Our daughter wouldn't feel as confident, we wouldn't feel as able to support and be informed"
PARENT - KIDS GROUP
"Our daughter has been attending the kid's group on Saturday's for about 18 months. In that time we have seen her confidence grow and her anxiety levels decrease"
PARENT - KIDS GROUP
"I believe that the parents get as much out of that opportunity to get together one Saturday a month as the kids do. We use the time to share experiences, offer advice and give support."
PARENT - KIDS GROUP