Story
Since 2005 Beyond Reflections has supported approximately 500 people and is currently supporting around 100 beneficiaries. This support can be received through interaction at our twice monthly Transition Meeting Centres, or through monthly Wellbeing Drop-Ins. Our Friends & Families support groups are run separately and are also offered on a monthly basis. It is recognised that people supported through transition are much less likely to regret their decisions, and through supporting families Beyond Reflections helps them stay together or to reconnect.
Trans people score highly on every metric used to assess vulnerability; 53% attempt self harm, 48% report suicide attempts, a quarter of trans people report discrimination when attempting to obtain private rented accommodation and a third of employers state they would actively discriminate against trans employees. Just over a third of trans people report they feel very comfortable in their existence and around two-thirds avoid gender identity expression outside of the home.
Beyond Reflections services enable inclusive spaces for trans people to access Peer Support alongside more formalised support structures, such as counselling, to combat the feelings of isolation and loneliness. We also assist people with housing, education and employment issues, which can have a great impact on community inclusion.
We help build connections by working with local volunteers, agencies, and counsellors to provide a breadth of support; life-skills, workshops, and facilitated groups, alongside offering peer support.
Beyond Reflections also provides training to local businesses, individuals and community groups, to aid understanding in the general population about the difficulties trans people face and to ensure they are not excluded as well as assisting with advocacy, when necessary.
Government estimates state 1-5% of the population is trans or identify non-binary and we work tirelessly to support people in our region who need assistance in transition or with gender identity and expression or gender dysphoria.
Please make a donation today to the Beyond Reflections General Fund in order to help us continue this work; building on our current services to ensure all trans people in our region receive the best support they can and highlight awareness of trans and gender issues.