What people say about us

• What single parents say about us
• What our supporters say about us

Becoming a lone parent can bring poverty, isolation and the feelings that the world is judging you or that you are no longer a real family. But it can also bring intense happiness and pride.   I am prouder of the eight years I spent as a single mother than of any other part of my life.

J.K. Rowling

I have been a one parent family twice now, and it has been a rewarding and difficult journey each time. I was an eighteen-year-old punk rocker the first time, and a best-selling author the second. What amazed me about the experiences was that, despite being twenty years apart, society still had the same old prejudices.

Martina Cole

In 1964, when I was five, my family tree was struck by lightning. It was the year my household stopped being a perfectly normal family unit headed by two parents and became instead a perfectly normal family unit headed by one.

Neil Pearson

I am an independent sort of person but when I became a single parent I did feel a bit vulnerable. I called the helpline to find out what my entitlements were and also to learn more about employers’ legal obligations.
The woman I spoke to was fantastic – really, really helpful. She sent me lots of literature. When I had problems with tax credits I called again: I remember coming off the phone feeling not only that someone had listened to me but that I had been shown a way forward.

Anne, who has two daughters

Being in touch with other single parents is fantastic. We enjoy each other’s company and feel that we’re not actually alone.
Whenever we get together I can see us all coming alive – we’re strong people at the end of the day and being part of Gingerbread brings all that out.

Hazel, mother of Lana

Taking part in Horizons has boosted my confidence and given me an idea of what I want to go into. I had never been part of a workplace before and it was good to work in an office as part of a team. Before, I was just looking after the kids. I only went out to do the food shopping. Now I am more confident about what I am looking forand how to get a job.

Rebecca, who took part in the Horizons: Your Work programme,
delivered with Barclaycard, in Stockton on Tees

What our supporters say about us

Gingerbread’s commitment to single parent families is total. Its support has never faltered since it was founded in 1918. Yet all along it has been flexible, tailoring its services to contemporary needs. I am proud of my long association with the organisation.

Andreas Whittam Smith CBE
Founder and former Editor of the Independent and former Honorary
Treasurer of the National Council for One Parent Families (1982–1986)

The political and media perception of Britain’s lone parents is a barometer of our times: cyclically apportioning blame to them for society’s ills. But they have always been able to rely on the reasoned advocacy of Gingerbread as a champion in their corner, rationally influencing policy development and public opinion to open up the space for them to participate in society’s mainstream.

Sue Slipman OBE
Director, Foundation Trust Network, the NHS Confederation, and former
Director of the National Council for One Parent Families (1986 –1995)

Since 2005, Barclaycard has enjoyed working with Gingerbread to deliver Horizons: Your Work, valuing their dedication and detailed understanding of lone parents’ needs. Hundreds of lone parents have already benefited from the programme with many now back in work and others involved in training, education and volunteering.
Gingerbread’s involvement has been critical to the success of the programme and the lone parents it supports.

Antony Jenkins
CEO, Barclaycard