Brian, volunteer member of Gingerbread’s Campaign Advisory Group. 

“I had never thought of myself as a campaigner, although I have always put others’ needs before my own. As a single parent father, when the pandemic arrived, I found myself in a difficult situation, both financially and mentally. It was during this time that I came across a lived experience research programme called Covid Realities. 

I soon became deeply involved in the programme, seeing first-hand how sharing our stories and working alongside researchers could make a real difference to people’s lives. Together, we campaigned for governments to make policy changes that would directly improve the lives of millions of families across the UK. 

Through this involvement, I was introduced to Gingerbread, a charity fighting to create a world where single parents and their children can have the best possible start in life. With the support of the focused and amazing staff at Gingerbread, I have been able to attend government roundtable meetings and speak in the House of Lords about both my own struggles and the experiences of others. This work helped shape policy around single-parent families, including the Child Poverty Strategy, which ended the two-child limit on benefits. 

I am now extremely proud to call myself a campaigner, pushing for change across the UK and helping ensure that millions of people’s voices are heard by those who can make meaningful improvements to the lives of families.

A fairer society is something we all deserve, no one should be living in poverty in a modern world. I am fully committed to continuing this work until that goal is reached.”