Winter appeal

Build homes of support this winter

Winter is tough for many of us, but for single parents, the pressures are overwhelming.

Rising bills. Childcare costs. Shorter days that deepen isolation. Too many families are stretched to breaking point, forced to choose between heating and eating, or paying bills and buying gifts.

No parent should face this alone.

That’s why we’ve launched Home for One, Support for Many. Together we’re building Gingerbread Houses, not bricks and mortar, but communities made of advice, friendship, and connection. Safe spaces where single parents can feel supported, hopeful, and less alone.

Buy a brick for £25 today and help build homes of support this winter.

Hayley’s story

Hayley, single mum with red hair, standing with her young sonHayley was caring for her baby son and moving on from an abusive relationship when a friend recommended Gingerbread to her.

‘My relationship had broken down and I was feeling low. To find a place with so much information, to realise there was a way out, it was like the light at the end of the tunnel for me.’

She was able to find the practical information she needed on our website, and she used our online forum to chat with other people going through similar challenges.

‘I talked to a couple of other single parents on the chat forum. And when I felt comfortable, I was able to say I’ve experienced that too, this is my story.’

When we last spoke to Hayley, she was in a much better place.  She’s got a new job and her son is doing well at school. ‘I feel like it’s a new, positive chapter for both of us!’ she said.

There’s still so much stigma around being a single parent, but Gingerbread gave me the support I needed 
– Hayley, single parent

Together we can make winter brighter

This winter, we’re asking you to build with us.

Brick by brick, gift by gift, we can fight poverty, fight isolation, and fight injustice.

Buy your brick today and give single parents the gift of community.

Why we need your support

 Single parents do an amazing job. Raising a family alone means being strong, brave and resilient. But everyone needs a helping hand from time to time. Gingerbread is here to make sure single parents have the tools they need to keep their families safe, warm and fed.

Online information

Our online information is accessible at any time of day or night, and over 800,000 single parents use it to help guide them through the big issues facing them – from child maintenance to wellbeing.

Find out more

The Gingerbread community

Our community of local and digital support groups offer single parents the chance to meet others in similar situations. They’re a lifeline for single parents, helping them connect and build support networks.

Find a local group or join the community.

Wellbeing

At Gingerbread we’re proud to work with external experts, providing single parents with workshops on a range of topics, from mindful morning routines and learning self-compassion to sessions on employability.

77% of single parents who attended one of our wellbeing sessions told us their wellbeing improved because of it.

View our upcoming wellbeing workshops.

Policy and campaigns

Gingerbread has been fighting to create a society where all single parents and their children don’t just survive but thrive for over a century.

Find out more about our policy and campaigns work

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