Umbrella Cymru's work in Wales#
Umbrella Cymru is a specialist gender and sexual diversity support service covering the whole of Wales. It supports LGBTQ+ people of every age, from primary school children to people in their eighties, and their families, and it trains and advises professionals. Its support workers offer emotional and practical support, information and signposting, and advocacy, such as speaking to a GP, teacher or the police with you. Among the most common requests it lists are changing names and gender markers on passports and other official documents.
Asking for support#
The request support page has three online forms: a self-referral, a referral for a family member or friend, and a professional referral. It does not take paper referrals, aims to process a request within a week, and reviews each one for safety before a support worker makes contact. It is clear that it is not a crisis service. The contact page says email is usually quickest, gives a text option, and offers BSL support or an interpreter on request.
How its deed poll service works#
Umbrella Cymru is unusual among charities in preparing deed polls itself. The Deed Poll Service page is for people aged 16 and over; someone close to 16 can pre-order. You fill in an online form and choose:
| Option | What you get | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | A deed poll in its own design, emailed straight away, with instructions | Free (donations welcome) |
| Bronze | One deed poll on quality card, posted, plus the emailed copy | £7.50 plus postage |
| Silver | Three deed polls on card, each to be signed and witnessed | £12.50 plus postage |
| Gold | Eight deed polls on card, each to be signed and witnessed | £17.50 plus postage |
| Do it yourself | A blank Word template with the usual wording | Free |
With the free option you print it, sign it in front of a witness, and keep that as your original, sending copies or scans where needed. The charity's FAQs say no one has to pay to change a name, that the paid options cover time and materials, and that the money goes back into its free services across Wales.
Points its FAQs make#
- Why a deed poll at all. It explains that in UK law a name becomes yours through use, but organisations usually ask for a deed poll as a record of your instruction.
- Under 18. From 16 you can change your name without a parent's consent. Under 16 it is possible, but the documented consent of those with parental responsibility is usually needed, and it suggests legal advice.
- Special cases. It flags different rules for some non-UK nationals and for young people under a care order with restrictions on names.
How this fits with other routes#
GOV.UK's own guide agrees that someone aged 16 or over may draw up their own deed poll, signed in front of two adults. HM Passport Office accepts an unenrolled deed poll that is signed, witnessed and dated, so for most people enrolment is optional. Some organisations ask for a certified copy, and some keep what you send; how many certified copies you need shows which do. For a child under 16, changing a child's name sets out who must agree. Changing your name in Wales covers anything specific to Wales, including Welsh-language names.
This page describes what Umbrella Cymru publishes on its own website, read on 26 October 2026. Umbrella Cymru has not reviewed it, and listing a charity here does not mean it recommends this handbook or any deed poll service.
