“As a single parent community, we are really strong. We have to be for our kids. Over time you realise you’re actually capable of pretty much anything.” Raise Campaign- Naomi’s Story.

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.

For Naomi, SPW has been life-changing: a source of friendship, confidence, and pride. She says being a single parent is challenging but also empowering: “As a single parent community, we are really strong. Over time, you realise you’re actually capable of pretty much anything.”

Naomi– single parent of two daughters, SPW Volunteer Ambassador

When Naomi became a single parent, her youngest was just six months old. What followed were some of the hardest years of her life.

“I really struggled with my mental health,” she recalls. “The NHS didn’t really know what to do with me, and my health visitor suggested I try speaking to people who might understand.”

That simple piece of advice led Naomi to Single Parents Wellbeing (SPW) - and changed everything. She received an invitation to join a wellbeing workshop. “I nearly didn’t go,” she admits. “It was completely out of my comfort zone. But the day before, Rachel from SPW called to say she was looking forward to meeting me.

That put me at ease. I turned up and it was the best thing I could have done. It was more helpful than anything the NHS offered me. Just being with people who get it was such a huge help for my mental health.”

Over 12 weeks, Naomi found not just support, but belonging. She connected with other single parents at different stages of their journeys - from those who were newly separated to parents who had been raising children on their own for a decade. Hearing their stories helped her feel less alone and gave her hope.

Before SPW, loneliness was a daily reality.

“When my kids were little, I’d see families out with two parents everywhere - and it just wasn’t talked about. I had to give up hobbies like netball because I didn’t have another adult at home. That’s isolating. At SPW, there’s no stigma. Everyone’s in the same boat, and you can be honest about what you’re going through.”

Naomi soon became more involved with SPW, volunteering as an ambassador and starting Family Footsteps - a simple but powerful monthly meetup in the park. Parents bring picnics, children play, and conversations flow.

“If I hadn’t invited people, I probably wouldn’t have gone myself,” she says. “But organising it made me show

up, and that’s been just as helpful for me as it has for others.”

Her children have also benefited. “At big SPW meetups, they see other kids from single parent families. They know their dad doesn’t live with us, but it helps them realise our family is normal too. My eldest loves looking after the babies at events - it’s so nice to see.”

Being a single parent is not without its challenges. Naomi talks honestly about “mum guilt” - the difficulty of balancing time between her two children, studying at university, and looking after herself.

“It’s hard not being able to give one-to-one time. But studying has given me a massive sense of purpose, and I’ve realised I’m capable of more than I thought. As a single parent community, we are really strong. You just find a way, because you have to.”

Bedtimes are one example she reflects on. “When both kids were small, bedtime was the worst part of the day. Getting them both down at the same time nearly broke me. Now we’ve figured it out. A friend texted me once when her husband was away, saying, ‘I don’t know how you do this every night.’ And honestly, neither did I - you just do, because you don’t have a choice.”

Four years on, Naomi feels more positive. “I’m working towards feeling proud of myself. My supervisors tell me I should be, and I’m starting to believe it. Until recently I thought, this still doesn’t feel real - like I don’t belong here. But now I know I do.”

For Naomi, SPW has been life changing.

“It gave me community when I felt like I had none. It gave me hope, and it gave me confidence. Being part of SPW has shown me that being a single parent isn’t something to be ashamed of - it’s something to be proud of.”

Read more about our Raise Campaign here.