The Big Lottery Fund has said it will review a planned grant to transgender children charity Mermaids, after a thread started on Mumsnet by TV writer Graham Linehan urged opposition to the funding.

The public body, which is responsible for distributing funds raised by the National Lottery for charitable causes, received a number of messages regarding a planned £500,000 grant to the charity, which works to support transgender children and their family.

“We’re grateful to those who have taken the time to write to us, and in light of the nature and volume of the communication we have received, we have decided to undertake a review of this grant,” a spokesperson for the Big Lottery Fund said in a statement on Monday (December 17).

The Sunday Times newspaper, which quoted a private Mermaids Facebook group celebrating news of the funding, reported on Sunday that the grant would enable Mermaids to create a network of 45 groups nationwide.

The news prompted Father Ted creator Linehan, who announced a Christmas break from Twitter in a 11-minute video posted on Friday (December 14) following the latest controversy about his position on transgender rights, to start a thread on the “Feminism chat” forum of parenting website Mumsnet to discuss his opposition to the donation. Read more via Pink News