“That sense of connection is priceless - it’s what turns loneliness into belonging.” Raise Campaign- Sophia’s Story.

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.

“At the beginning, being a single parent was a shock. Friends are there for a while, but then life moves on - and that’s when it gets lonely. Single Parents Wellbeing gave me a tribe of people who truly understand. Some of my closest friends now are single parents I met through SPW. That sense of connection is priceless - it’s what turns loneliness into belonging.”

She has since become a volunteer, helping to moderate online groups and creating new initiatives like Solo Sundays - shared meals for parents who find it harder to eat out or socialise alone. Sophia has also organised day trips for families, showing that adventures don’t stop when you’re raising children on your own.

She says: “Without SPW, I’d feel really lonely. With them, I’ve built a community - and I’ve been able to help others do the same.”

Sophia– single parent of a teenage daughter, SPW Volunteer Ambassador

Sophia became a single parent when her daughter was four. She first discovered Single Parents Wellbeing in 2019 through a half-term activity, and what began as “going along for a free ticket” quickly turned into a lifeline. During lockdown, Sophia and her daughter stayed connected through SPW’s wellbeing kits and online sessions, which kept her daughter engaged and gave Sophia a sense of support.

After restrictions lifted, Sophia became more involved as a volunteer, helping to moderate online groups and start new initiatives like Solo Sundays. She realised there are some things that feel harder to do alone as a single parent - like eating out, taking day trips, or finding time just for yourself. “I missed Sunday lunch,” she says, “so I booked a table and 10 of us went together. Now it’s a regular thing - we eat, we talk, and it feels normal again.”

Sophia has also organised bigger trips - from Harry Potter Studios to London - showing other single parents that adventures don’t have to stop when you’re raising children on your own.

She speaks candidly about the loneliness of those early days and the importance of building confidence as both a parent and a woman. She wants her daughter to grow up knowing that “women can do anything” and often reminds her: “Be the shepherd, not the sheep.”

Through SPW, Sophia has found friendship, purpose, and empowerment.

She says: “Without them, I’d feel really lonely. With them, I’ve built a community - and I’ve been able to help others do the same.”

Read more about our Raise Campaign here.