Gingerbread (charity)

"One Parent Families" redirects here. For the concept, see single parent.

Gingerbread is a registered charity (England and Wales) which provides advice, support and campaigns for single parent families. Following a merger with One Parent Families in 2007 it was briefly known as "One Parent Families|Gingerbread" before relaunching as Gingerbread in January 2009.

J. K. Rowling, formerly a single parent herself, is the charity’s President.

History

1918-1970: The National Council for the Unmarried Mother and her Child

The charity now known as Gingerbread was originally founded in 1918 as The National Council for the Unmarried Mother and her Child (and for the Widowed or deserted Mother in Need) by Lettice Fisher. The charity had two goals: to reform the Bastardy Acts and Affiliation Order Acts laws which discriminated against illegitimate children, and to provide alternative accommodation to the workhouse for mothers and babies.

Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, the charity worked to provide practical advice and assistance to single parents, and to campaign for single parents’ rights. In response to changing employment and education patterns in post-war Britain, the charity set up finance education schemes and training programmes to help single parents find a place in the new economy.

In 1970, the charity renamed itself as the National Council for One Parent Families and would use this name up until its merger with Gingerbread in 2007.

1970-2007: The National Council for One Parent Families

Working under a new name, the National Council for One Parent families continued to support and advocate on behalf of single parents. In 1974, the Finer Report on the needs of one parent families was published. Many of its 230 recommendations for improving the lives of single parent families were proposed by the National Council for One Parent Families.

In 1987, the Family Law Reform Act passed, through which the Bastardy Acts and Affiliation Orders Acts are repealed, after extensive pressure for the National Council for One Parent Families.

1970-2007: Tessa Fothergill and Gingerbread

After the breakdown of her marriage, Tessa Fothergill, a mother from London struggling with economic difficulties as a single parent, set up a local self-help group for others in a similar position. Fothergill was featured in the Sunday Times, and the response from other single parents resulted in the creation of Gingerbread as a grassroots organisation providing community-level support for single parents.

2007-present

The National Council for One Parent Families and Gingerbread merged in 2007, and relaunched under the name Gingerbread in 2009. Head offices for Gingerbread are in Kentish Town, London, with satellite offices in Cardiff, Rhyl, Manchester and Accrington.

The charity describes its vision as ‘a society in which single parent families are valued and treated equally and fairly.’

Services

Helpline

Gingerbread runs a Freephone helpline (0808 802 0925) offering advice and information for single parents. The helpline is staffed by advisers who are trained to give guidance on practical matters to do with money, benefits, employment issues and family law.

Membership

Single parents can become members of Gingerbread for free, most signing up via the Gingerbread website. Members can use the protected online forums, receive a monthly e-newsletter and get access to discounts and special offers.

Local groups

Some Gingerbread members run local groups offering peer support for other single parents and their families. The groups are displayed on the Gingerbread groups map.

Online advice and information

Gingerbread offers comprehensive advice and information for single parents on its website, as well as a number of interactive advice tools and an online community for members. The advice covers areas including child maintenance, tax credits and steps to take when a relationship ends. Factsheets are available on a variety of topics relevant to single parent families. In October 2011 a mobile version of the website was launched, to allow single parents to access the information easily using their smart phones.

Training

Gingerbread offers training, employability and confidence-building programmes for single parents. It runs schemes in partnership with Marks & Spencer (Marks and Start) and Barclaycard (Horizons) to help single parents return to the workplace.

Lobbying and campaigns

Gingerbread is a political organisation, and has a policy and research team who work with elected representatives and other decision makers to influence policy and practice on issues relating to single parents.

Gingerbread has campaigned against negative stereotyping of single parent families. Their ‘Let’s lose the labels’ and ‘Single parents: you’re brilliant’ campaigns both challenged stigma against single parents.

Recently, Gingerbread has campaigned against government proposals to charge parents to use the Child Support Agency, and against cuts to Legal Aid proposed by the Welfare Reform Bill.

People associated with Gingerbread

Lettice Fisher – founder of the National Council for the Unmarried Mother and her Child

Tessa Fothergill (Raga Woods) – founder of Gingerbread (1970)

J. K. Rowling – President of Gingerbread

John Amaechi – Basketball player, Gingerbread ambassador

Martina Cole – Author, Gingerbread ambassador

Laila Rouass – Actress, Gingerbread ambassador

Lisa Aziz – News presenter, Gingerbread ambassador

Tracey Edwards MBE – Sailor, Gingerbread ambassador

Kate Fawkes – TV Executive Producer (Bob the Builder), Gingerbread ambassador

Neil Pearson – Actor, Gingerbread ambassador

Arabella Weir – Actress, comedian and writer, Gingerbread ambassador

Archives

The records of Gingerbread are held at The Women's Library at London Metropolitan University, see the online catalogue for details 5GNB

The records of National Council for One Parent Families are also held there, see the online catalogue 5OPF

External links

• Official website
• The Women's Library, which holds the organisation's extensive archive and publications
• "National Council for One Parent Families, registered charity no. 230750". Charity Commission for England and Wales.