I've just looked up the nearest gender clinic and it's ages away! It's in London but it will be loads of money to get there...which I don't have.

Getting worried that it's not going to be possible for me to become who I know I really am.

I have no money. So is that my dream coming to an end???

It mentioned stuff about fees but I'm on benefits because of my son at the moment.

Now petrified.

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Evan X

If you truly love something or someone, then you shouldn't be afraid to love it, because if you are, that's not love.

If it feels like everyone's always pulling your trousers down....start wearing a belt.

Patients frequently have to make round-trip journeys of hundreds of miles, sometimes having to stay in London overnight, to attend the gender identity clinic at Charing Cross.

If traveling from Braintree, Essex, into London - a distance of 40 miles or so - is too hard for you, you may well find some of the other demands of the gender reassignment process rather onerous.

I have a friend who lives in Catford who I can stay with but I don't know how far away that is from him. I can make the trip to Lewisham ok via DLR but after that is when I'll probably have trouble.

Either way I'll do anything to get it.

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Evan X

If you truly love something or someone, then you shouldn't be afraid to love it, because if you are, that's not love.

If it feels like everyone's always pulling your trousers down....start wearing a belt.

Charing Cross Hospital is in Fulham Palace Road, and the nearest tube is Hammersmith.

Hi Evan

I also have to travel to CX, from Manchester. I've found that National Express buses are pretty cheap, and having someone who has a floor you can stay on is also helpful.

If you are on benefits, it might be possible to claim some travel expenses, but i'm not exactly sure how the system works these days - maybe someone else will be able to help more there?

The Claybrooke Centre is a few minutes walk from Hammersmith tube station (or Barons Court, if you prefer it, slightly further, but a more pleasant walk) so if you can get into London you'll be fine getting there by tube.

I'm not sure what you mean about fees - the Claybrooke Centre is part of the NHS, so there are no fees involved. It is possible to go private, when obviously there are fees to pay, but myself and plenty of others transition via the NHS.

Cheers

Dave

Don't panic. It's probably going to be a while before you actually get to see anyone in the Claybrook, so hopefully you should have a chance to save a bit of money for fares etc.

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I have to travel to London from Liverpool. It costs me a fortune.
You mentioned you were on benefits, if its income support or something similar im pretty sure you can claim back any travel expenses. What you do is while at the Gender clinic you ask the receptionsist for a form for it, you fill it in then take it to the accounts dept in Charing Cross hospital and they refund you the full amount.
However, if like me you're on incapacity benefit you are not entitled to claim any travel expenses back. I think it would be best to find this out sooner rather than later because you're not just gunna have to make 1 trip to the gender clinic, you're lookin at maybe 2 a year. Ive had maybe 6 apts or so in the last 2 and a half years.

I'm doing my third year of my university course... in Berlin... i therefore have to fly when i have an appointment there. it is a lot of money. and i was on benefits up until pretty recently - they seem to be very keen to hand out money so maybe you could talk to someone from the benefits people...? I mean you get free prescriptions with that right so maybe they make allowances with that as well? and don't worry - you'll find a way. also - if you book early then you get trains from like £4 (and travel at the right time of day).