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.

In honour of Pride this month, James Lindsay (our Youth Action Academy member)  has written an informative blog covering the history and reasons why millions of people around the world stand with people in Pride. 

This Pride Month and ahead of School Diversity Week we speak with Lily from Just Like Us about the incredible resources and services they have for parents, carers, schools and young people.

Ruth tells us about her daughter having an eating disorder at 12 and how Ruth became a part of her daughter’s recovery. Training as a coach and wanting to support other families and parents on their journey. Ruth talks about a Body Happy Wales and her plans to set up a charity.

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).

April is Stress Awareness Month, and this year’s theme—#LeadWithLove—asks us to show up for ourselves and others with unconditional positive regard: kindness, compassion, and acceptance, no matter what we’re facing.

It’s a simple idea, but a powerful one. Stress touches all of our lives, especially as single parents, and in those hard moments, the most healing thing we can do is to respond with love—especially toward ourselves.

Netflix’s Adolescence has got families talking — about the dangers online, knife crime, toxic influencers and the rise of misogyny both offline and online. The series shines a light on what growing up in a digital world really looks like for young people today. It’s sparked powerful conversations in the Single Parents Wellbeing community about screen time, social media, peer pressure, and how we protect and support our kids in the online world.

Below, we’re sharing real thoughts from single parents and young people, along with practical advice and ideas drawn from their lived experiences. Because when it comes to tech, parenting and adolescence — we’re all learning together.

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!

We chat with Claire Fitzsimmons,co-founder and co-director of If Lost Start Here, a wellbeing company that helps people get to a better place in life, about how her mother’s illness drove her to build a company that supports people who feel lost.

We chat with Naomi, our Ambassador Lead for Family Footsteps about her inspiration behind joining Single Parents Wellbeing, the sessions she runs and her inspiration to help you get outside with your little ones.

Natalie Coombs, Lead service manager talks to us about Platfform, a mental health and social change charity and it’s work on the Power Up Project - providing frontline wellbeing support to young people experiencing challenges with their mental health.

Anne-Marie, Wales Development Manager talks to us about Plan International, a global children’s charity striving for a fairer world, their recent project Champions of Wales building a network of champions of equality in their communities and how they’re tackling gender based violence.

A couple of the SPW team are taking their first solo holidays this Summer and after reaching out to our community we had some great suggestions, advice and tips we wanted to share around taking the plunge and diving into your first solo holiday.