Gingerbread Celebrates Volunteers’ Week 2019

From making their voices heard in Parliament to providing vital peer support through local groups, Gingerbread volunteers stand at the forefront of some of our most vital services, and stay true to the charity’s ethos of putting the single parent experience at the heart of everything we do.

Volunteers’ Week was established in 1984 by Volunteering England (now NCVO), and aims to highlight the invaluable and diverse contributions made by volunteers across the UK.

Coordinator of the North-West London Gingerbread Group, Ema Howling, told us that she finds volunteering really rewarding as she’s glad to help other single parents who may be lonely or disconnected.

“My son now has a wide group of friends who are in the same situation, and I find it a great way to support each other,” she said.

Carol Slaney, Coordinator of the Thurrock Group, also feels proud to be a Gingerbread volunteer, and recently explored the reasons she feels glad to have reached out across the local community.

“I get a lot of comments from people about how much the group has helped them,” she said.

“Some have started going out again, some people have new partners, and some even have found someone to go on holiday with.”

As a single parent herself, Gingerbread’s Chief Executive Officer Victoria Benson knows how vital the support of our volunteers can be.

“We really couldn’t exist without volunteers. We’d have no groups, and single parents would lose out on vital support.” she said.

“I know how hard it is to fit volunteering into life as a single parent, and that it’s sometimes frustrating, or tiring – although I really hope it’s rewarding too.”

If you’re interested in volunteering for Gingerbread, find out more about setting up your own peer support group or how you can begin campaigning with us on the issues that mean the most to you.