Gingerbread, the leading national charity working with single-parent families, is delighted to welcome Sarah Pinch in her role as Chair of the Board of Trustees. Sarah replaces Gingerbread’s Interim Chair, Tom Madders. We also welcome Professor Phil Deans in his role as Vice-Chair, replacing Interim Vice-Chair, Jo Casebourne. 

Sarah is an experienced chair and non-executive director. She started her career at the BBC for 10 years before moving into corporate communications, including for two charities, in public transport and the NHS. As a single parent to a 10-year-old, Sarah knows only too well the challenges faced by single parents. 

Sarah says:

“My father left my mum when I was a baby. As a single parent she benefitted from the support and guidance of Gingerbread and it was where she met my lovely dad; the charity has always had a very special place in my heart. The chance to bring my professional knowledge and experience of governance and boards to a charity I love so much is just such a privilege.” 

Phil has spent his career in education and is President and Vice-Chancellor of Richmond American University London in West London. He was raised by a single parent and has been a single parent to three children since 2011.   

Phil says:

“My motivation to join the Board at Gingerbread derives directly from my personal experience of single parenting. I was raised by a single working mum in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It is only when I became a parent that I recognised just how resilient, hard-working and funny she was, and how hard she had to battle to help her boys. My own children might be ‘big’ now, but there is no ‘completion date’ for being a single parent.” 

Tom Madders, outgoing Interim Chair, says:

“It has been an honour to lead the Board for the past 12 months and I’m delighted to be handing over to two such capable and passionate advocates for single parents. Sarah and Phil are outstanding leaders who are perfectly placed to help us increase our impact at a time when we are seeing an increase in demand for Gingerbread’s services. Life continues to be hard for the 2 million single parents who are doing an incredible job, raising their children single-handedly. Gingerbread will always offer a listening ear and helping hand to any single parent who needs it”.  

Gingerbread is the leading national charity for single-parent families. We campaign against the injustices that single parents face every single day and we challenge the stigmas around being a single parent. We provide expert advice and information to support all single parents so that they have the tools to support their children and themselves. And we provide a support network so that, with Gingerbread, no single parent is ever alone.