Merseyside Trans+ Council Meeting Minutes - July 2026

Date: 17/07/2026

Time: 6.30pm - 9.00pm

Chair: Connie Frankish (Trans Forward North West)

Second Chair: Kris (Safe Space Merseyside)

Minutes: Matthew Fitzsimmons; Vickery Stamp

Acronyms Used

AOB - Any Other Business

CIC - Community Interest Company

DIY HRT - Do It Yourself Hormone Replacement Therapy

MTC - Merseyside Trans+ Council

SSM - Safe Space Merseyside

TFNW - Trans Forward North West

TGEU - Trans Europe and Central Asia

WG - Working Groups

Update from Kris (Safe Space Merseyside) and Connie (Trans Forward North West)

1. Kris thanked everyone in attendance and acknowledged those who made the previous meetings possible.

2. This meeting acts as a soft reset of Merseyside Trans+ Council (MTC), which will now be co-facilitated by Safe Space Merseyside (SSM) and Trans Forward North West (TFNW).

3. Connie highlighted that the Trans Council is a democracy and community resource for and led by trans people. The aim is to make something for the community that they will then take on whilst SSM (Kris) and TFNW (Connie) oversee the running of it.

4. Connie introduced her professional and organising background

   a. Connie has previously worked with TGEU. She has facilitated their council and acted as co-chair at their last general election. She has used this experience to help design a structure for MTC that is democratic and effective.

   b. Connie highlighted that she currently works for GYRO, is a board member for Sahir House, co-founded Protect Scouse Dolls, and has created a new CIC called Trans Forward NorthWest.

   c. Connie made clear her role at MTC is as part of Trans Forward North West, and she is not speaking for any other organisation.

5. Connie explained the importance of transparency to MTC, and explained that the role of SSM (Kris) and TFNW (Connie) is as facilitators (called co-organisers) who support the running of the space.

   a. The organisation is lateral (minimal hierarchy) in structure. Roles set out responsibilities and are not intended to give authority.

   b. The co-organisers role is to ensure safety, manage processes and provide guidance where needed, not to direct what is decided in the space.

6. Connie and Kris (co-organisers) are developing a Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policy.

   a. They highlight that they are also looking to establish Principles and Values. The result will be a defined package of Values, Safeguarding and Codes of Conduct that all members can access and review.

   b. The co-facilitators will be looking for community feedback on the Code of Conduct and Principles and Values.

7. MTC is democratic and a place to centralise trans+ community projects and become a facilitator to co-ordinated organising.

   a. It is intended to be community-led, creating opportunities to develop local trans+ leadership and build local trans+ voices into decision making.

Questions:

• What is the purpose of Merseyside Trans+ Council? (discussed further later in the meeting).

Action points:

• Co-organisers to continue to develop a Code of Conduct, Values and Safeguarding Policy, ready for September.

2. Pilot Leads Structure & Elections

A. The meeting read through the document “Pilot Leads Structure (September 2026)” section by section. The document contains full details of the structure and can be read on the Merseyside Trans+ Council website.

Section 1: Outline

a. Previous feedback said that the council felt hierarchical.

b. Based on this feedback, the co-organisers have developed a new lateral system. There will be a pilot of the new structure. This will run from September 2026 - March 2027.

c. The new structure is based around three types of roles: Co-organisers, Members and Working Group Leads. During the pilot there will be 2 co-organisers (SSM and TFNW) and 5 working-group leads, one per group.

  i. Working group leads will be elected. 

  ii. More co-organisers are not needed now or in the near future. 

d. During the pilot there will be five working groups: (1) Trans Masc; (2) Trans Fem; (3) Non-Binary, Gender Fluid & Intersex; (4) Global Majority & Migrant; (5) Disability & Neurodiversity. Working groups will be based around group chats and any trans+ person who is part of the group identity will be able to join.

  i. The working groups are based on previous feedback. It is hoped this structure will promote intersectionality and enable groups to work together.

e. Public Trans+ Town Hall Meetings will take place every two months (in September, November, January, and March).

  i. This was chosen to make it easier to attend regularly & to allow enough time for actions between meetings.

  ii. Co-organisers and WG leads will attend a closed Leads Meeting in between town halls (on alternate months).

f. Meetings will run bi-monthly as we work to establish a schedule that is flexible and can be easily adhered to

g. A website (https://merseysidetranscouncil.com/) has been created where meeting agendas and relevant documents will be uploaded.

Feedback:

• A suggestion was made that Town Hall meetings should be for trans+ people only to allow people to speak more freely. An alternative suggestion was that it may be possible to alternate whether allies can attend. A further suggestion was that allies should be able to attend but are not the focus of the meeting.

Section 2: Co-organisers, meetings and working groups/lead positions

a. The role of co-organisers is: to facilitate meetings; manage operations and administration; support working group leads; and run communications.

b. The role of WG leads is to lead their WG; attend all meetings (town halls and leads meetings); chair a town hall meeting; possibility of other responsibilities.

 i. This will include running the WG group chat and following up on actions from Town Hall meetings and group chats. 

c. Members will be able to attend, suggest agenda items for and vote at public Town Hall meetings; vote in elections; and contribute to working groups.

d. WG leads will be elected. There are no formal criteria for being a WG lead and prior experience is not needed.

 i. WG lead candidates must be trans+, belong to the WG and be in good standing in the community. (Also note the Pre-Existing Authority Clause, discussed in 2E).

 ii. The co-organisers have also developed some desirable criteria for the role (see full document). These are intended as a point of reflection for people interested in becoming a WG lead, not as rules. 

e. Leads must attend all meetings where possible. There is a process to remove WG leads who do not attend three meetings, though there will be a supportive discussion first and circumstances will be considered.

Feedback:

• There was a suggestion to use Signal for groupchats for privacy/security.

• There was a suggestion made for a platform for knowledge sharing to draw on existing local knowledge.

• In response to the desirable criteria, it was raised that people who have been out as trans+ for less time may not be less suitable to be WG leads. The commenter highlighted that people who have come out more recently may have very relevant lived experience (e.g. of current difficulties accessing healthcare).

  • The co-organisers responded that they agree it is not necessarily about the length of time. The prompts are intended for personal reflection, and we all have different lived experiences.

Questions:

• Q: Will their be onboarding and competency training for working group leads (e.g. on safeguarding, suicide prevention)? A: Yes, co-organisers will develop interim training for September, with a full process developed by the end of the pilot. They welcome thoughts on developing competence training.

Action points:

• Co-organisers to upload information on pilot and other relevant details to MTC website as soon as possible.

• Co-organisers to develop initial competence training/support for WG Leads for September.

Elections Process

a. Elections will take place at the September Trans+ Town Hall Meeting. Full details explained in the Election Process (Pilot) table.

b. To apply to become a candidate, individuals should complete an application following instruction on the website [In meeting this was described as a Google form, but it is now an email template]. The information will be available from Monday 20th July and applications will close on Monday 24th of August.

c. Applications will be checked by Connie and Kris, and if there are any issues candidates will be contacted. They may conduct informal checks on a candidate’s background for safeguarding. If too many candidates are received for a role, candidates will be shortlisted based on merit.

d. The election will take place at the September Trans+ Town Hall Meeting using the process described in the pilot document. Elected leads will serve for 6 months.

Feedback:

• Concern was raised about the use of assigned sex at birth language in pilot documents, which was widely perceived as unhelpful outside of people describing themselves.

  • It was agreed to avoid the use of this in MTC policy and documents in future.

• There was a suggestion that where a WG lead may be removed for non-attendence, a public community meeting could be used to increase transparency and give the person a chance to explain their circumstances.

  • In response, it was suggested that someone who is not engaging, attending a meeting may be difficult or unlikely. The co-facilitators clarified that there is flexibility to account for a person’s circumstances, including health situations, and the process is intended as supportive.

Questions:

• Q: Who will be deciding who is eligible for which WG Lead? Could this be done solely by self-identification? A: Co-organisers will only question this if someone applies for a working group that conflicts with how they are known in the community. This will be a conversation, and eligibility is based on self-identification.

• Q: What will the background/safeguarding checks involve? A: These checks are about safety, to identify if someone is good standing in the community, that is that they do not have a known history of abuse, violence or harmful behaviour. Checks will be informal and will involve co-organisers speaking to others in the trans+ community. Checks will not involve contacting people outside of the community (e.g. family) and will not consider things not relevant to community safety.

Action points:

• Community members wishing to stand to be a Working Group Lead to submit application (Google Form) by Monday 24th August.

• Co-organisers to facilitate the election process over the stated timeline.

Pre-Existing Authority Clause

a. The election will have a Pre-Exisiting Authority Clause. “Known” community members with perceived authority should reflect on whether this may prevent a fair vote, and if so, are asked not to stand. This includes people with a significant existing platform, or holding a position of authority in a group or organisation making them known in the community. The policy is to help ensure people vote on merit not popularity.

Proposed membership system

a. MTC will have a membership system from January 2026.

 i. Membership will be free.

 ii. Membership will be open to Trans+ people; attendance (but not voting) at public meetings will be open to all.

 iii. Membership would promote a sense of involvement, allow for fair running of elections, allow votes on statements, capture some demographic information, and improve safeguarding.

General discussion and feedback

a. Questions after the meeting are welcome and can be directed to Kris/Connie or by email (info@merseysidetranscouncil.com).

Feedback:

• A comment thanked co-organisers for their work putting together the pilot proposal, their attention to processes such as safeguarding at this early stage and the inclusion of the Pre-Existing Authority Clause.

• It was suggested that private Leads meetings could be open to observers (who would not participate in the meeting).

  • The response agreed this was a good idea and clarified that minutes from these meetings will also be made available publicly.

• It was suggested that there should be a way to for engage online with membership and voting. Adding an online option helps disabled people to be involved in votes, and ensures everyone gets the chance to vote.

  • The response acknowledged the importance of access but also raised safety and security concerns that need to be resolved around online access.

• A concern was raised around data collection and privacy.

  • The co-facilitators stated they don’t have a desire to capture data, but for equality and diversity reasons this will be important. Co-organisers will continue to consider this issue and ways to hold data anonymously.

• It was suggested that CryptPad could be used for encrypted document storage.

• It was suggested that Disability and Neurodiversity Working Group lead may work better as a shared position, both because of fluctuating conditions and the diversity within disability and neurodiversity.

  • It was agreed this was a good idea and all positions can now be shared as co-leads.

Questions:

• Q: The goal of Merseyside Trans+ Council is seems unclear. Why would someone want to become a WG Lead? A: The role of a WG lead is for someone that wants to see the council built. We want people who want to work with others to make sure actions are taken, so that it becomes a productive space, where resources and advice are shared. The WG lead will be a person with time to coordinate the group, act as a point of contact for the group, and support organising. Where actions are determined by the membership at Town Hall Meetings, WG leads will help implement these.

• Q: What is the purpose of Working Groups? Are they intended to operate as top down, enacting actions determined by the whole council, or bottom up, feeding things into Town Hall meetings? A: Working groups will allow space for conversations within smaller marginalised groups. This will allow WG leads to feed back from more nuanced discussions. This will help make agenda items more effective and prevent duplication. Working groups may also be involved in implementing actions.

Action Points:

• Co-facilitators to update materials to allow WG co-leads ahead of the election.

3. Liverpool Pride Discussion

A. Liverpool Pride is taking place on (and around) next Saturday 25th July.

B. In addition to the main official programme, other events include:

a. Black Cat x Safe Space Merseyside Big Pride Fundraising Party - Friday 24th July, 12pm - late, Black Cat Parr Street - fundraiser party for Safe Space Merseyside, note the venue is not accessible

b. Pride Pictures - Friday 24th July, 5.30 - 9.00pm, DoES Liverpool - movie night hosted by Keira

c. LGBT Foundation Weekly Wellbeing Group - Thursday 23rd July, 6 - 7.30pm, Liverpool Central Library - will be making pride placards

d. Access Pride [ticketed event] - Saturday 25th July, 11am - 5pm, The Brink - a quieter, sober pride event run by Sahir

C. Concern was expressed about the involvement of the Police and Crime Commissioner in Liverpool Pride

a. There was a general agreement of disappointment.

b. It was discussed whether MTC should release a collective statement in response.

c. Given the short-notice and as Pride is approaching, it was proposed to re-visit this in November’s meeting.

Action Points:

• Co-organisers to add further discussion of Police and Crime Commissioner to agenda for November meeting.

4. Update from DIY HRT Working Group (LGBT Foundation)

A. Speaker from LGBT Foundation explained that there is a current lack of support for people who DIY HRT and that this is particularly prevalent in Merseyside.

B. They have set up a Working Group to address this. This is currently mostly organisations. LGBT Foundation are leading in supporting the WG, with support and involvement from Liverpool Council, Safe Space Merseyside, Brownlow, River, and Axcess. They would like more community organisations and lived experience involved.

C. The WG are working setting up a workshop to empower people DIYing with harm reduction and signposting. They are hoping to be able to have training with a nurse on safe injecting practices. The WG is working towards a ‘train the trainer’ model so the community can support each other.

D. LGBT Foundation can currently offer a route for needle access and signposting to people 18+.

E. The WG are still working on blood testing and are in discussion with organisations including Brownlow and Axcess on how it may be possible to deliver this.

F. Anyone with particular lived experience or community organisations wishing to be involved can email liverpool@lgbt.foundation.

5. Group around writing proposed policy responses

A. It was agreed to discuss this at a future meeting.

Advocacy for trans prisoners

A. The speaker raised that recent judgements in the Scottish Prison Services mean conditions in prison for trans people are likely to get even worse.

B. The speaker called on the community and MTC not to work with the police and to offer greater support to trans people in prison, for example by writing to trans people in prison or supporting with funds.

a. The speaker agreed to provide resources on how to do this to be shared alongside minutes/on the MTC website.

b. It was agreed that there will not be police involvement at Merseyside Trans Council or Safe Space Merseyside meetings.

Action point:

• Speaker to provide resources on supporting trans people in prison to info@merseysidetranscouncil.com as soon as possible.

6. AOB 1 - Music event for non-white queer people

A. Highlighted existence of Autonomous Zone: A Black, Brown and GRT Open Mic Night - 1st Friday of every month, 5pm - 8pm, Granby Winter Garden

7. AOB 2 - Trans Employment Needs Assessment

B. Solstice Inclusion and Protect Scouse Dolls are carrying out a Trans Employment Needs Assessment survey. This assessment is to help get trans inclusive training for workplaces, especially public facing organisations.

C. There is a survey for trans+ people with recent employment experience in Merseyside, available at: https://form.jotform.com/261831874609062

8. AOB 3 - Approach to Sharing Minutes

a. It was clarified Minutes of the Trans Town Halls Meetings will be available freely online as Trans+ Town Halls are intended to be open public meetings. They will be made available on the website at merseysidetranscouncil.com.

b. The public nature of Trans Town Hall Meetings was discussed, and suggested that what people share in the space should be decided accordingly.

Feedback:

• It was suggested that MTC should adopt a practice of announcing that anything said during meetings will be available publicly via minutes at the start of future meetings.

  • It was agreed this will be practice going forward.

Action points:

• Co-organisers to ensure that the public nature of space and minutes is made clear at the start of all future meetings.