I am nominating my boss because she has been so much more than a manager to me—she has been a lifeline during one of the most challenging periods of my life. From the very beginning, she understood my situation in a way that few people could. Having walked a similar path herself, including her time as a single parent, she recognised the weight I was carrying and met it with compassion rather than judgement. That understanding alone made me feel seen, supported, and never alone.

She has been my role model, my steady voice of reassurance, and the person I could turn to when everything felt overwhelming. There were moments when I needed a shoulder to cry on, and she offered hers without hesitation—never making me feel like a burden, always reminding me that I was doing my best. Her empathy and kindness have meant more to me than she will ever know.

Professionally, she has done everything in her power to make sure I could continue doing the job I love. She has worked tirelessly to create a flexible and supportive environment that allows me to balance nursing with the demands of home life. Because of her willingness to adapt, to listen, and to care, I have been able to stay in a career that gives me purpose. Without her, I would have been forced to walk away from nursing—a thought that breaks my heart.

I truly cannot put into words how grateful I am. Her support has changed the course of my life. She has given me strength on days when I felt I had none, and she has shown me what genuine leadership looks like: compassion, understanding, and unwavering belief in the people she leads. She has inspired me not just as a nurse, but as a parent, as a colleague, and as a person.

She deserves to be recognised, not only for what she does every day, but for the profound impact she has had on my life.

I wouldn’t be where I am today as a person and a single mother if it weren’t for the continuous support and encouragement I receive from my employer. I have been working for this amazing charity for just over a year (after being unemployed for many years), supporting people in our communities to overcome addiction and equipping churches and organisations to journey with them in recovery. I have faced many personal obstacles, financial and plenty of job centre issues, a neighbour who was being abusive to my son and me, and I had no police support, so my general confidence was low. I wasn’t sure if I could cope with working and wanted to throw in the towel. But my employer, Emma, journeyed with me through the whole process, helping me navigate whatever I was facing at the time and accommodating whatever I needed, to ensure I had peace and a positive plan.

I wouldn’t be where I am today as a person or a single mother if it weren’t for the continuous support and encouragement I receive from my employer. I have been working for this amazing charity for just over a year (after being unemployed for many years), supporting people in our communities to overcome addiction and equipping churches and organisations to journey with them in recovery.

I have faced many personal obstacles, financial and plenty of job centre issues, a neighbour who was being abusive to my son and me, so my general confidence was low. I wasn’t sure if I could cope with working and wanted to throw the towel in. But my employer, Emma, journeyed with me through the whole process, helping me navigate whatever I was facing at the time and accommodating whatever I needed to ensure I had peace and a positive plan. She goes above and beyond, helping me make decisions that put my son and me first. Allowing me to ‘own’ my newfound confidence to strive for a better life than where I had come from.

Emma has so much going on in her personal life, but she never moans or burdens anyone. She has brought so much sunshine to my life and to many others who will agree. Whilst she has no children of her own, she champions those who do.  Always makes herself available and always speaks life into our hearts so we believe in ourselves again. She saw in me what I could not see in myself. I will be forever grateful for this Wonder Woman!

My son has SEN and, as my employer, they have supported both my work and my son by enabling him to play football in the Ability Counts team they run. It has massively boosted his confidence.

The work they do in the community through sport helps so many families, including many single-parent families. They have supported both my son and me through his diagnosis, his part-time school timetable, and the times I have needed to leave work to attend school meetings.

He is now medicated and finding school easier, but there are many workplaces that probably would have ended my employment during the times my son was in crisis.

He is always welcome at our events, which helps him learn valuable skills. There have also been times when he has had to come into work with me, and everyone has been incredibly accommodating and supportive.

I would like to nominate my boss, Jenny Ward, Chief Executive of The Lullaby Trust, as a Single Parent Superhero.

My name is Jenny, and I am a solo parent to my 9-year-old son. I have worked at The Lullaby Trust as People and Operations Manager for just over two years, and I can honestly say that my life as a single parent has been made significantly easier by the organisation — but most notably by Jenny Ward herself.

When I started in my role, I explained my circumstances as a single parent. Without hesitation, my working hours were shaped around school hours, meaning I didn’t have to pay for additional wraparound childcare. Office days are completely flexible, and the message has always been clear: family comes first, no matter what.

During my time at The Lullaby Trust, my mum was sadly diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and passed away in October 2025. This was, without question, one of the hardest periods of our lives. Throughout this time, Jenny did everything in her power to support me — not just as an employee, but as a parent and a human being. She understood the impact this had on my son and went above and beyond: researching organisations to help him cope, sending me seminars and webpages full of support, checking in on us daily, and placing absolutely no pressure on me to “return to normal”.

Jenny leads with compassion, empathy, and genuine kindness. She has created a culture where single parents are not just accommodated but truly supported. I am genuinely and deeply grateful to her for making one of the hardest times of our lives that tiny bit easier — and that is why she is, without doubt, a Single Parent Superhero.

Since I joined Hearing Dogs in March this year at a senior executive level, Tracy has always helped me as a single parent working full-time. She has created an environment where it’s normal culture to work remotely as much as needed, and it’s ok if last-minute changes to in-person meetings happen. Most recently, she changed the date of an important Christmas meeting and Executive Team Christmas lunch so that I could attend my twins’ first nativity at nursery. This reply meant a lot to me! Tracy is a fantastic example of how charity CEOs and other leaders can create environments where single parents can thrive at both work and home. Thank you, Tracy.