Jaz's Therapist Training & Top Surgery Fundraiser

Hi there, my name is Jaz and I’m fundraising to help with university and top surgery costs.

Firstly, this is really difficult for me to do and took a lot of thought to put myself out there. I don’t like asking for help but I’ve realised that I can’t do everything that I want to do on my own.

I’m a 26 year old queer, Black transmasculine person and those who know me, know I have always wanted to be a therapist. We need more black trans therapists!

Trans people (especially Black trans people and trans people of colour) are disproportionately affected by poor mental health & suicidality, homelessness and experiences of trauma and abuse. My goal is to be able to provide accessible, affordable and trauma-informed therapeutic support to this community that I am a part of alongside other marginalised communities, such as BIPOC & the sex working community.

I work full time for a LGBT+ charity supporting survivors of homophobic and transphobic hate crime and study part-time on a PGCert course studying Counselling Psychology. I do a lot of volunteering in my spare time for three sexual health and well-being charities, one as a HIV tester and outreach worker and the others, as a mentor for trans and non-binary people. I also sit on an advisory board for the NHS, advocating for the rights and needs of LGBTQIA+ people. I love my community and devote a lot of time to it; I want to be able to support them the best way that I can - finally having the money for an accredited psychotherapy masters programme, I believe, will really help me in being able to do that.

The second part of this fundraiser is for top surgery costs. I came out as trans in 2009 (at the age of 13). I’ve always struggled with issues around my body and with gender dysphoria and I just know that I cannot live my true and authentic life without this surgery. With private surgery costs in and around £10,000 now in the UK (for larger chested folks) and with NHS waiting times as long as they are, i don’t think I will be able to get to a place where I can afford this on my own. As I’m getting older, I’m realising that I am missing out on so much, just because I am not privileged enough to be able to afford this.

Gender affirming surgeries are life saving for trans people and I can only imagine the sense of euphoria and relief I’ll feel when it finally happens for me.

Thank you for taking the time to read this Please donate what you can, & share as much as you can.

Much love,

Jaz x

Please note: No raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or returns on investment are offered in exchange for any donations made to this Go Fund Me.