About Us
Proud to be Voluntary Led
Sparkle - The National Transgender Charity is a 21 year old, voluntary-led registered UK charity. Our reach extends to people who identify as transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming, their partners, families, friends, and wider society which they are part of.
Sparkle is run by a team of dedicated and passionate volunteers, over 85% of which identify as trans, non-binary or gender variant.
This means no wages, no bonuses, this is simply to limit our overheads whilst we grow as an organisation, although we need investment to move to the next stage of our evolution; to reach even more people and support them with our wellbeing services, community services and our overall aims (Which you can read more about below!)
Our Mission
Our Mission is one which helps to guide our commitment to the trans and gender diverse community, through action
Our Mission is one which helps to guide our commitment to the Trans and Gender Diverse Community, through action:
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We will lead the way with trans inclusion.
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Promoting a positive public image, awareness, and acceptance of the trans community in the UK and beyond.
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We hope to build confidence and resilience, to develop understanding and cohesion in society, and to challenge the stigma associated with being trans.
Our Activities
The ways in which we develop our mission, hold fast into the roots of our organisation but expand beyond the original scope, into further ways to celebrate our existence and champion our rights and community goals
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Fighting the unfairness and discrimination towards our trans community, with a mix of events, campaigns, and all-out advocacy.
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Forming amazing collaborations & projects within our trans, non-binary, and gender diverse community and other organisations.
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Hosting the Sparkle Weekend, the longest running celebration of trans lives in the UK.
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Offering trans-led training and expert advice to bring real trans inclusion & allyship to workplaces, schools, and healthcare settings.
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Create trans inclusive safer sex packs, with condoms, lube, dental dams, finger cots, and gloves - inclusive of all bodies.
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Sparkle Sanctuary events where gender diverse folks can socialise, find support, and learn new skills. We support 30+ service users each month.
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Holding special events for Trans Awareness Week and Trans Day of Visibility, and the Trans Day of Remembrance Vigil in Manchester.
2025 in Numbers
2025 saw significant growth for Sparkle - The National Transgender Charity, particularly through community programmed delivery, demonstrating the increasing need for our work.
66,708
Our team sent a staggering 66,708 external emails, working with and for the community to provide a better national impact for trans people - a 39% increase from the previous year.
107
Working with 107 different organisations, including grassroots groups, sponsors, local businesses, and LGBTQ+ charities.
16,020
A whopping 16,020 volunteer hours - 22.7% increase compared to 2024! This included our team of 20 trustees & key volunteers, plus 150 Sparkle Weekend Volunteers. We have zero paid staff or sessional workers.
20.3k
We reached 20.3k people with our EHRC call to action on social media.
7
Our leadership led on 7 major safeguarding referral cases, because there was no onward referral capacity to larger funded charities and organisations to meet their complex needs.
Our Patrons
Our Mission is one which helps to guide our commitment to the trans and gender diverse community, through action
Jacqui Gavin BEM is one of the UK's most respected equality, diversity and inclusion leaders, with more than four decades of experience driving positive change across government, business and the voluntary sector. A pioneering transgender advocate since the 1970s, Jacqui has dedicated her career to breaking down barriers, challenging discrimination and creating environments where people can thrive as their authentic selves.
Throughout her distinguished career, Jacqui has held senior leadership roles across major organisations including the Cabinet Office, Department for International Trade, Civil Service, Britvic plc and Britishvolt. She was instrumental in developing some of the UK's first cross-government transgender inclusion standards and has played a significant role in shaping workplace equality policies that continue to benefit thousands of people today.
Her contributions have been recognised through numerous national honours and awards. Jacqui was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to transgender equality, received the Prime Minister's Points of Light Award, won the British LGBT Award for Diversity Champion, the WinTRADE Head of Diversity Award, and was named the winner of the Proud Scotland Impact Award. She has also been shortlisted for the prestigious National Diversity Awards Lifetime Achiever Award, recognising a lifetime dedicated to advancing equality and inclusion.
Beyond her professional achievements, Jacqui is widely recognised as a mentor, role model and bridge-builder. Her leadership style is grounded in empathy, authenticity and collaboration, and she has inspired countless individuals to pursue positive change within their own communities and organisations. Her unwavering commitment to fairness, visibility and human dignity embodies the values at the heart of Sparkle and continues to leave a lasting legacy for future generations of LGBTQ+ people.
Jacqui Gavin BEM
Annie Wallace
Annie Wallace is an acclaimed actress, broadcaster, activist and one of the most influential figures in transgender representation in British television. Best known for her role as Sally St. Claire in the long-running Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, Annie made history as the first transgender actor to play a regular transgender character in a UK soap opera.
Long before appearing on screen herself, Annie helped shape one of the most important moments in LGBTQ+ television history. She worked as a researcher and advisor on Coronation Street, supporting actress Julie Hesmondhalgh in her portrayal of Hayley Cropper, the UK's first permanent transgender soap character. Annie's lived experience helped ensure Hayley's story was told with authenticity and dignity, and many regard her contribution as instrumental in transforming public understanding of trans lives.
Throughout her career, Annie has combined visibility with advocacy. Her achievements include becoming the first transgender actress to receive a BAFTA Scotland acting nomination, winning the National Diversity Award for Celebrity of the Year, receiving the Proud Scotland Judges' Award for Outstanding Trans Activism, and being honoured by DIVA Magazine for three decades of activism and service to the LGBTQ+ community. She has also been recognised on both the Rainbow List and Pride Power List of the UK's most influential LGBTQ+ people.
Annie's support of Sparkle reflects her lifelong commitment to creating a world where transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse people can live openly, safely and authentically. Her pioneering work continues to inspire generations of LGBTQ+ people and remains a powerful reminder of the importance of visibility, representation and community.
Professor Stephen Whittle OBE
Professor Stephen Whittle OBE is one of the most influential figures in the history of transgender rights in the United Kingdom and internationally. A lawyer, academic, author and activist, Stephen has spent more than five decades campaigning for equality, legal recognition and human rights for transgender people. As a co-founder and long-serving Vice President of the organisation Press for Change, he played a pivotal role in securing many of the legal protections and rights that transgender people enjoy today.
Widely regarded as one of the architects of modern transgender equality law in the UK, Stephen was instrumental in the legal challenges and policy work that ultimately led to the introduction of the landmark Gender Recognition Act 2004. His work has helped shape legislation, government policy and public understanding of transgender lives, influencing change not only in the UK but across Europe and beyond.
Alongside his activism, Stephen has enjoyed a distinguished academic career as Professor of Equalities Law at Manchester Metropolitan University and has authored numerous books and research publications on gender, law and human rights. His groundbreaking research into the experiences of transgender people has informed governments, public bodies and equality organisations around the world.
His achievements have been recognised through a series of prestigious honours. In 2002 he received the Liberty Human Rights Award for his commitment to advancing transgender rights. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2005 New Year Honours for services to gender issues, amongst many many others.
"Today, being part of Sparkle means I get to be that visibility for someone else. To show that trans people exist, that we are here, and that there is a safe, welcoming community for anyone questioning their identity."