Switchboard is the national LGBTQIA+ support line. Whether it’s sexual health, relationships or just the way you’re feeling - this is your space.

Call 0800 0119 100 (lines are open every day, 10am-10pm) or email  hello@switchboard.lgbt

LGBTQ+ people are more likely to smoke, drink heavily, and use drugs—often starting younger and facing greater health risks.

At MertonPlus, we want to help change that.

Breathe+ is our new project encouraging Merton’s LGBTQ+ community to quit smoking and cut down on drugs and alcohol by:

✅ Offering friendly, drop-in health sessions

✅ Creating safe, social spaces beyond bars and clubs

✅ Signposting support that understands your journey

💬Join one of our regular drop-ins and take the first step toward a healthier you.

5-7pm Tuesday 8 July 2025 at Raynes Park Library

5-7pm Tuesday 12 August 2025 at Colliers Wood Library

5-7pm Tuesday 9 September 2025 at Wimbledon Library

You deserve to feel good—inside and out.

Only by reporting hate crime can we collectively prevent it from happening in the future. No matter how small or trivial it seems, it counts towards the bigger picture.

Does it feel like the situation could get heated or violent very soon? Is someone in immediate danger? Do you need support right away? If so, please call 999 now.

Mosaic Trust is a London-based charity that provides accessible activities, programmes and services aimed at  young LGBTQ+ persons.

Mosaic runs a young persons club (12-18 year olds) and a young adults group (18-25 year olds), and regular activities.

The charity also offers counselling and mentoring services, and helps provide work experience placements.

Parents and guardians can also access support.

Sexual Health London (SHL.UK) is a discreet sexual health service for Londoners. You can request free home test kits, regular or emergency contraception. 

You can also find advice services and information about your local sexual health clinics.

Young people (16-24) in Merton can access free comdoms and sexual health tests at Get It METRO sexual health (Merton).

Our friends at Spectra offer dedicated trans services, including peer mentoring, groups and workshops.

London has a number of organisations which offer trans healthcare and support. Our friends at LGBT Hero have put together comprehensive directory of these services.

We also invite our Trans siblings to check out our fellow South-London community group Trans Pals, which has a monthly social in Croydon.

At MertonPlus, we welcome and resolutely stand with our asylum-seeking siblings, including the many who just want to freely express their LGBTQ+ identities in the UK.

Find links and helplines for specialist support groups and charities on our Refugee Support page.

Fostering is one of the most meaningful ways you can make a difference in a young person’s life.Whether it’s for one night or several years, providing a stable, supportive home can be truly life-changing - for the child and for you.

For many LGBTQ+ couples, fostering is often a first step toward building a family. It’s a powerful way to offer love, care, and safety to a child who can’t live at home.

Becoming a foster carer usually takes between 3 to 6 months. Throughout your journey, Merton Fostering is here to support you - every step of the way, from your first enquiry to approval and beyond.