In this episode, Kate was joined by Victoria Benson, CEO of the Single Parents Charity, Gingerbread.
With a background in law as a solicitor, Victoria joined Gingerbread in February 2019, having served previously on their Board. Before joining Gingerbread, Victoria was Director of Legal & Governance at Cancer Support charity MacMillan.
Gingerbread has supported and championed single parents since 1918. Originally called the National Council for the Unmarried Mother and her Child, they’ve worked for over 100 years to make sure that single parents are not forgotten. They’ve changed laws, influenced government and challenged stigma and stereotypes. Their expert advice and information help tens of thousands of single parents every year. Through their policy work, they ensure that their members’ concerns and experiences are taken to the heart of Westminster and that their in-person and online communities can be found across England and Wales, providing support to thousands of single parents and their children.
Kate and Victoria began this episode by looking at what constitutes a single parent and how Gingerbread take the view it is a ‘self-defined term’. Victoria told Kate about the work Gingerbread does to promote the interests of all single parents by lobbying government for social reforms around support and equal opportunities for single parents. They went on to talk about how they support single parents with free advice, from their helpline and how Gingerbread campaigns tirelessly to redress the stigma that exists within society. Their expert advice and information help tens of thousands of single parents every year, particularly around child maintenance, childcare and benefits. Victoria also talks about her own personal experience of being a single parent and how this has fed into her passion for promoting the political and social interests of single parents.
How to contact Gingerbread: