Gingerbread, the charity for single parent families, will be closing its helpline from 1 April 2025. It was launched in 2002 to provide free, expert advice to single parents. Gingerbread’s trained advisors have supported tens of thousands of single parents over the past two decades on any aspect of single parenting, from dealing with a break-up or bereavement to going back to work or sorting out benefit issues.

Following the conclusion of a contract with Family Lives and the Department for Education (DfE) combined with persistent challenges in diversifying income streams, a comprehensive review of Gingerbread’s activities was conducted at the beginning of this year. Sadly, the review concluded that the helpline was no longer financially viable.

Gingerbread has also commissioned a governance review to ensure that longer term financial stability and strong foundations are in place so that Gingerbread continues to provide support for our single parents now and for the future.

Gingerbread is committed to its mission of all single parents and their children thriving and, from April 2025, Gingerbread will focus its efforts on continuing to:

• Challenge injustices and inequalities through policy and campaign work
• Support single parents through online information and resources
• Connect single parents online and in-person so they can share their experiences and build a supportive community

Gingerbread will also collaborate with national organisations to help single parents across England and Wales access the support they need, when they need it.

Single parents seeking advice are encouraged to visit the information pages on the Gingerbread website, which will signpost to a range of support services available.

Sarah Pinch, Chair of Trustees: 

“Gingerbread is a highly respected and well-loved charity, doing vital work for single parents.  These are challenging times for us and for many other charities, but we are building strong foundations for our future, one where we will continue to campaign and challenge on issues of importance to single parents and provide vital support online and in person through our groups. 

In the four months since I was appointed as chair, I have been humbled by the support from our own staff as well as parliamentarians, funders, the media and our supporters.  I have been deeply moved by the single parents I have met, bravely sharing their experiences to enable us to accurately campaign and communicate what is important.   

As a single parent myself, I know how important this charity is, and we have a strong future ahead of us.”