Prince Harry Shows His Support For A Trans Children's Charity
He believes organizations like this one are "on the front line of mental health work in the U.K."
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Prince Harry recently met with the CEO of Mermaids, a charity supporting transgender and gender diverse young people in the U.K., The Telegraph reports. The Duke of Sussex believes the organization, along with other youth charities, is "on the front line of mental health work in the U.K," royal correspondent Hannah Furness writes.
Mermaids was reportedly invited by Heads Together—the umbrella mental health initiative run by Harry, Prince William, and Kate Middleton—to a roundtable meeting with other charity representatives at Ealing YMCA earlier this month to acknowledge its work.
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The organization aligns with Prince Harry's focus on young people and erasing the stigma of mental health. According to its official website, Mermaids' mission includes reducing "isolation and loneliness for gender variant and transgender children, young people and their families"; reducing suicide and self-harm, improving self-esteem, and raising awareness about the community.
Prince Harry's support would be "hugely beneficial" for the charity and can help change the perception of trans people across the country, Mermaids CEO Susie Green told The Telegraph.
"I think it's always really important to young people to see that people with the authority and credibility that Prince Harry has are supporting them and are listening and acknowledging the fact that they exist," she said.
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Green previously met the duke at a charity reception at Buckingham Palace in 2017, per The Telegraph. When she told him about Mermaids, he called the work "amazing."
Other organizations at this month's roundtable included YoungMinds, which supports young people's mental health needs; The Mix, a support system for people under 25; and Safe Lives, which fights to end domestic abuse.
This article originally appeared in Harper's BAZAAR US
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