Over the past eight months Talia, the Volunteer Manager of the Youth Action Academy (YAA) has been coproducing a ‘Reverse Mentoring’ session.  This involves the young people of the Academy talking to the staff working on the Mental Health Manifesto (MHM) project about their experience of certain topics.  All of the Youth Action Academy members are from single parent households and so have a unique perspective to share with us.  

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.

Our Flexible Working Policy is designed to help employees balance their work with the demands of single-parent households, offering a range of flexible options to ensure a work life balance where we thrive in the workplace and in our personal lives.

To create a healthy work environment where every team member can thrive, we have introduced the Wellness Action Plan (WAP) Policy. This structured approach helps employees manage health concerns effectively, ensuring that reasonable adjustments are made where needed, and fostering a culture of support and understanding.

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.

Gass talks to us about Afrizon Bespoke Service, an organisation providing information and community support for childcare and batch cooking for families and how offering respite to families in need can make a difference.

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.

Emma talks to us about Place2Be, an organisation providing in-school emotional support to children and young people for 30 years. The importance of art as a way to build positive social and emotional connections and why they’re getting their trainers on in August!

This Mental Health Awareness Week, the theme is movement. In the whirlwind of single parenthood, finding moments of calm amidst the chaos can seem like an impossible feat. Yet, amidst the juggling act of raising children, managing households, and often balancing work commitments, many single parents have discovered the transformative power of movement on their mental health.

Drawing from the invaluable insights and advice from our SPW members, we wanted to give some hope and insight for those at the beginning of their journey. We delve into the emotional nuances of the early days of single parenthood versus the wisdom gained over time.

The Connecting Creatively project, funded and in partnership with the Mental Health Foundation, focuses on fostering creativity and strengthening bonds within families. Using a trauma informed approach. Participants share positive experiences, emphasising the value of dedicated time for creative activities.

As a single dad, I know how hard it can be to cope with the challenges of parenting, work, and life in general. Sometimes, it feels like there is no one to talk to, no one who understands, no one who cares. But I also know that I am not alone, and that there are many other men out there who struggle with their mental health.

It can be emotional and a difficult experience losing a pet. It’s completely normal to grieve and grieving for a pet follows a similar pattern to grieving for a human relation. Read more for our tips for coping with the death of a pet.

Anxiety disorders and depression compete for being the number one health problem in western society. 10% of the population have suffered from panic attacks, phobias or anxiety disorders in the past year.

Single mothers are more likely to experience poor mental health than those with a partner, and the main causes associated with this are the financial hardships as well as a lack of social support.

This World Mental Health Day we are calling on Government and funders to put a priority on organisations that support single parents and listen to their voices around the disproportionate impact that the cost of living crisis, stigma and covid has had and continues to have on single parents mental health and wellbeing.

SPW is actively committed to promoting positive mental health. As part of the Wellbeing Workshops, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, we worked on creating a framework and strategy for promoting mental health in the workplace.

Mothers Matter was set up by Katy Thomas after she saw a gap in what is needed for new mums struggling with their mental health. We love how compassionate her services offer. In this interview Katy talks openly about her struggles with mental health after her daughter was born and how other mums can reach out, get support and not feel alone in their thoughts.

Every month we spotlight amazing organisations in Wales that are doing great things in the community. This month we are interviewing Olga Sullivan, Director of the Cardiff Branch of Samaritans.

In this interview Olga tells us more about the amazing services they offer, advise on what to say to a loved one that’s struggling and an insight into what their phone lines have been like during covid.