Sophia became a single parent when her daughter was four. She first joined SPW in 2019 and found connection that carried her through the loneliness of early single parenthood and the challenges of lockdown.

Zoe became a single parent in 2015 and says the first two years were “pure survival.” For years she avoided SPW, telling herself she wasn’t a “proper” single parent, but when she finally attended in 2019, she realised: “Why didn’t I do this sooner?”

Through SPW, Naomi has gone from feeling alone to building community. She now organises Family Footsteps, a monthly meetup in the park where children can play while parents connect. These events help her as much as others - they give her a reason to get out, to meet people who understand, and to see her children mix with other single parent families.

Welcoming someone to an event might seem like a small thing, but for someone new, it can change everything. A smile, a friendly face, and a warm hello can make the difference between feeling anxious and feeling like they belong.

SPW wants to thank and value volunteers by offering both rewards and personal thanks. Each part of the programme gives different ways to celebrate and support what volunteers do. Everything has been planned together with single parent volunteers.

Coproduction is a way of working where power is shared, people are heard, and decisions are made together, not handed down.

In this blog we explore what meaningful coproduction really looks like. Here are some insights that go beyond buzzwords to address the reality of working with communities.

One year ago, with support from The National Lottery Community Fund and in partnership with the Mental Health Foundation, we launched Thrive—an ambitious, single-parent-led volunteering project designed to support mental health, reduce isolation, and build skills. One year on, it's not just a project—it’s a movement (as pointed out by one of our volunteers).

We chat with Ambassador Tania James about what it’s like to volunteer for Single Parents Wellbeing. What made her sign up, what she loves about volunteering with Thrive and what’s next for her!

Focusing on mental health volunteering, we delve into the success stories and strategies that have proven effective in sustaining and expanding this impactful initiative. Retaining and including single parent volunteers for long-term impact.

At the heart of everything that SPW does is coproduction and a peer led approach. Most of our team are single parents, we get all of our ideas from our members and we recognise how much wealth of knowledge and experience that there is the group. Therefore, if you come on board as a volunteer then we wanted you to get on board with what a peer led approach is.