Donate securely online. A gift from you – of any amount – will help us offer a lifeline to single parents at the most difficult times.
Winter appeal
Build a community 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 our single-parent community is so important, safe spaces where single parents can feel supported, hopeful, and less alone.
Donate today and give single parents the gift of community this winter.
Michael’s story
“I grew up with my mum, just the two of us. She was a lone parent, and she worked so hard to keep everything together. We moved a lot when I was young — sometimes because of money, sometimes because she wanted to move further away from my dad.
I often felt that my mum was always under a kind of latent amount of stress all the time. Even as a kid, I could feel that pressure in the air.
But one of the best things we had was Gingerbread. My mum was part of a group when I was little, and later she ran her own as well as worked for them. Every Saturday, we’d go to a community centre in North London, where single parents shared advice and kids like me ran around playing and laughing.
Looking back, I can see how important that was. My mum wasn’t alone anymore, she had people who understood. And for me, it made life feel normal.
My mum passed away in 2023, but the community Gingerbread gave us stayed with me. Those groups shaped who I am and made sure neither of us ever felt alone. Without Gingerbread, I think life would’ve been a lot lonelier.”
Our society isn’t really built for single parents. That’s why organisations like Gingerbread are so important, they step in where the system doesn’t. They give people advice, connection, and community.
– Michael, son of a single parent
How you can support single parents this winter
Together we can make winter brighter
This winter, we’re asking you to stand with your community. There are two million single parents in the UK, they could be your friend, sibling, neighbour or colleague.
Your donation means our Gingerbread groups can reach more single parents who need advice, friendship and a place to belong.
Gift by gift, we can fight poverty, fight isolation, and fight injustice.
Donate 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.
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.
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.
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.