Volunteer with us

At Gingerbread, we know that single parents are some of the most resourceful, compassionate and determined people around. That’s why we’d love you to join us as a volunteer. Whether you’ve got a few hours a month or a little more time to give, volunteering with Gingerbread is a brilliant way to make a difference, both for other single parents and for yourself.

Our volunteers help run local groups, welcome others into our online community and take part in campaigns to make sure single parents’ voices are heard. You’ll be part of a supportive network, helping others feel less alone while building your own confidence, skills and friendships.

You don’t need any previous experience, just your enthusiasm, lived experience and a willingness to get involved. We’ll give you all the training and support you need, plus opportunities to learn new skills, share ideas and be part of a movement that’s changing things for single parent families across the country.

Come and join us! Together, we can make sure every single parent has the support and respect they deserve.

‘It’s literally changed my life’

Sherisha is a Gingerbread volunteer. Find out why she finds volunteering so rewarding.

Recruitment process

When we receive your application we will contact you for a quick chat to answer any questions. We’ll then arrange an informal interview, contact your two referees and complete a basic DBS criminal record check. If your application is successful, we’ll ask you to sign the Gingerbread Volunteer Agreement then arrange your training and introduce you to other volunteers.

Getting started as a volunteer group lead, which we refer to as our on-boarding process, takes about 4 weeks from making your initial application through to completion. The training involves an induction and a safeguarding session, both of which take about 1.5 hours.

Learn more about our onboarding process.

Current volunteer roles

Find out more about our volunteering opportunities and how to apply here.

Gingerbread Group Lead

Gingerbread groups offer single parent families a chance to get together locally, meet new people, build meaningful connections and share experiences and ways to cope. As a Volunteer Gingerbread Group Lead your role is to set up and run a local group, facilitate ongoing engagement with group members and hold monthly meetups. You can find more about the role in the Gingerbread Group Lead Role description.

Read about Gemma’s experience as a group lead.

Before you apply, check if there is already a Gingerbread group near you:

How to apply

If you would like more information about the volunteer role please contact us and we can chat through the role in more detail. When you’re ready to apply, you’ll need to sign in as a Gingerbread member and then complete our online form, indicating the local group you would like to run and giving the names of two referees.

If you’re already signed in, you can go straight to the volunteer application form:

Online Community Volunteer

Our Gingerbread online community helps single parents make connections and friendships and reduces isolation through chat and online meet ups.

We are not currently recruiting Online Community Volunteers, but if you’d like to support other single parents online, simply join our single parent community and get chatting here! We’ll tell you about opportunities to get involved as the community develops.

Campaigns Advisory Group

Gingerbread’s Campaign Advisory Group is made up of single parents from across England and Wales who work with Gingerbread to campaign for meaningful change.

Members of the group work with Gingerbread to raise awareness and lobby for stronger support for single-parent families. By sharing their lived experiences, they help ensure the voices of single parents are heard and push for real, lasting policy change that benefits all single parents and their children.

Read more about the Campaign Advisory Group.