If You Need Help

Here are some UK organisations you can turn to for support if your home isn’t safe for you, or if you need support or advice.

General Safety and Support

Stonewall

A campaigning organization for the equality of LGBT people across Britain

Switchboard

An LGBTQIA+ specific helpline

  • Phone:
    • 0300 330 0630 (open 10am to 10pm every day)
  • Live chat:

Mermaids

An organization offering support to young people who are trans, gender variant, or questioning their gender

  • Phone:
    • 0808 801 0400
    • Open 9am to 9pm Monday to Friday, although bank holidays may vary. If you can’t get through, leave a message with your phone number and they will call you back. If you have a specific time when you would prefer someone to call back, say this in the message you leave.
  • Email:
  • Online chat:
    • https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/contact-us
    • The chat box is on the bottom right of this page. Click the ‘Let’s Chat’ button. If the chat option isn’t available, the button will say ‘Sorry our web chat is currently closed’.
  • Youth forum:
    • https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/young-people/youth-forum
    • An online safe space to speak to other young people who may have gone through the same thing.
    • You will have to complete a form (with a valid email address) and request to join the forum. You may want to set up a new email address for this if it’s safer for you.

Childline

A counselling service for children and young people in the UK provided by the NSPCC

  • Phone:
    • 0800 1111
    • Free and open 24/7, although calls between midnight and 7.30am may be limited to 15 minutes.
    • There are some Welsh-speaking counsellors. When calling, let them know that you would like to speak to someone in Welsh and a time will be arranged for you to do this.
  • Online chat:
  • Art box:
    • www.childline.org.uk/toolbox/art-box
    • This enables you to draw about how you are feeling. If you struggle to express yourself with words, or English isn’t your first language, you can share what you draw with the counsellor you speak to in the online chat.
    • You will need to create an account and sign in to save what you draw. You can do this by clicking on the box in the bottom right-hand corner next to the Art box.
  • Message boards:

Domestic and sexual abuse

Galop

An organization supporting LGBTQIA+ people who have experienced hate crime, domestic abuse or sexual violence


The National Domestic Abuse Helpline

Run by Refuge, this is a support service for women and children who are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence

Respect

An advice and support line for men who are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence


Rape Crisis

A network of independent rape crisis centres for women and girls aged 16+ across the country

Survivors UK

A service for male survivors of sexual abuse and rape. An inclusive service for anyone who identifies as male, trans, non-binary, has identified as male in the past, or anyone who feels that they are the right fit for them

Places to stay

AKT (formerly The Albert Kennedy Trust)

An organization specifically designed to combat LGBTQIA+ homelessness

  • Phone:
    • If you’re in the South, call the London office: 020 7831 6562
    • If you’re in the North West, call the Manchester office: 0161 228 3308
    • If you’re in the North East, call the Newcastle office: 0191 281 0099
    • If you’re not in any of these areas, you can call the one nearest to you or contact them online.
  • Online support (lets you speak to a digital mentor):
  • For more information on getting support from AKT:

Nightstop 

An organization that tries to prevent homelessness in young people through community hosting 

The Runaway Helpline

An organization to support people who have run away, or who are thinking of running away

Shelter

An organization offering support and advice on all aspects of housing

Other useful numbers

Citizens Advice Bureau

  • 03444 111 444

Samaritans

  • 116 123

National LGBT Domestic Violence Helpline

  • 0300 999 5428
  • 0800 999 5428

Switchboard LGBT+

  • 0300 330 0630