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The insights gathered from the evaluation of the Wellbeing Workshops offer valuable perspectives on the difficulties encountered by single parents and the positive impact the project has made. In partnership with Mental Health Foundation and funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.
Peer led, compassionate and connected approach to being in a single parent household,, improving the mental wellbeing of single parent families.
Being part of a single parent household, the challenges are unique, diverse, and often emotionally charged. At Single Parents Wellbeing (SPW), we prioritise a compassionate and positive approach to support these unique challenges of single-parent living.
I’m A Single Parent, Are You? Types Of Single Parents, Defined By Single Parent
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.
Focusing on mental health volunteering, we delve into the success stories and strategies that have proven effective in sustaining and expanding this impactful initiative. Retaining and including single parent volunteers for long-term impact.
Statistics Around Single Parents, Mental Health And The Importance Of Peer Support
A time of year when everything from adverts to advent calendars send messages about how we should all be happy and enjoy the time with our families.
In reality Christmas can be fraught for a whole host of reasons. You may have bad memories from childhood; finances may be stretched; you may be on a pattern of co-parenting that means you miss out on special times; or you may not have a support network around you to ease the emotional load; and let's not forget social anxiety.
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.
At the heart of everything that SPW does is coproduction and a peer led approach. Most of our team are single parents, we get all of our ideas from our members and we recognise how much wealth of knowledge and experience that there is the group. Therefore, if you come on board as a volunteer then we wanted you to get on board with what a peer led approach is.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to being a single-dad because each one of us is going through something very different to the next person. As every wave that breaks on the beautiful Welsh coastline is contrasting in size, shape and power so every relationship break-up and the emotions and issues that arise from them are just as contrasting. The following is a tiny piece of my story and some tips for other single dads.
SPW have been awarded £900,472 by The National Lottery Community Fund to lead on an exciting new project funded called A Mental Health Manifesto- Action for our future.
This project is in partnership with Public Health Wales, Swansea University, Mental Health Foundation and Heads Above the Waves.
We are sharing the stories of single parents, that all single parents will have a similar story to share. One of those stories that you have to laugh or you’ll cry at!
This week, Chris shares his story about one of the first times that he took his children to the beach as a single parent.
There is a real fear and panic for single parents around the energy prices going up. The cost is going up over 50% by 1st April. For the average household that is £693 per year.
This will particularly have an effect on single parents. The media term being used by the media “heat or eat” is echoing in the minds of single parent households around the UK.
Lots of single parents have already taken a financial hit with having £20 per week being taken away from Universal Credits, plus the hardship of unpaid child maintenance. The news about the energy will have a direct impact on single parent households across the UK. Hear our members’ responses, what the Government is doing and some simple energy saving tips you can do today.
My name is Indigo. My daughter is Ruby. She’s 8 now, and we’ve been on our own at home since she was 1. Don’t worry, the amount of house work went down significantly from that point onwards!
Over the years, I’ve come up with some time savings ideas which work great in our house. I’ve also asked for ideas from other parents and would love to hear your thoughts. Lets share and grow together!
The world changed when covid hit and one of the resounding messages we understood clearly from the lockdowns and the restrictions on our lives, was that connection is vital.
Why is connection such a valuable tool for us parents to use though? And how do we make it really effective? Find out in this blog by our Creative Lead Facilitator Rachel Brydon.
Christmas has come and gone and you’re feeling a bit deflated as the long nights and cold days lay ahead, and you’re feeling like your children don’t appreciate the effort you went to at Christmas or are not grateful for the gifts they received. How do you get past this?
Christmas for many is a time to be celebrated – a break from work, socialising with friends and family and shopping in excess. But for single parents, the festive period can be anything but merry, bringing a host of financial, logistical, social and emotional pressures.
We understand that single parents face an increase in household bills and this year have been struck by a decrease in Universal Credit benefits all adding to the financial burden of the holidays.
With many single parents being without their children and working increased hours to meet the demands and expectations of the festive period, we would like to call on Single Parents across Wales to join our network so that we can support you in combatting the Christmas blues.
Etholiad Senedd Ieuenctid Cymru 2021, Welsh Youth Parliament Elections 2021, means that young people aged between 11- 18 years old can vote for a candidate in their area. Voting will take place between 1-22nd November 2021.
We interviewed Amelia ahead of the youth parliament elections and we think you’ll agree that Amelia is a leader of the future.
Candidate Amelia is a focused young person with heart and a real ambition to make a difference in her community. Plus Amelia is growing up in a single parent household and is a real inspiration to other young people.
Rom coms and other media would have us believe that when a relationship breaks down or we part ways with someone we’ve had a child with that you meet for coffee, are best mates or generally run through meadows together.
I’m sure a small percentage of the single parent population do have that, but the vast majority will have been on a rollercoaster to get to the coparenting relationship they have today. Or they manage to parallel parent or even counter parent.
SPW Director Rachel Cule appeared on BBC Radio Wales Dot Davis breakfast show to voice the struggles of being a single parent and managing the 6 weeks of summer holidays.
What really came through from our members was the overriding feeling of guilt, expense and the juggling act of the summer holidays is a big and stressful time for single parents.
Pleasure is a positive and inherent part of who we are as humans. We are biologically designed to experience pleasure in a multitude of ways, via our five senses. Furthermore, our eros can be viewed as not just our libido, but our life force, creativity and the very essence of who we are. However, people’s upbringings or distressing or traumatic life events can take their toll on their relationship to pleasure.
There will be a lot of situations in a single parents life that they will have to be in the same room as their ex partner, and one of those reasons may be your child’s birthday party. This can stir up so many emotions and be a highly stressful situation. So we have round up some top tips to consider.
One of the first subjects that was addressed was the Child Maintenance Service. This is an issue that is discussed and brought up over and over again by our SPW Members in Wales. Therefore, we decided to create some research around the impact of CMS and see if there are any common themes between single parents' experiences around CMS. We are showing the results in a series of 3 blogs and invite more single parents to get involved and complete the survey.
A single dad’s guide to talking to daughters about periods and a low down of the products out there. Including sustainable options.
I'm Russ, father of 13-year-old Ella and owner of 'balance' a zero waste/refill shop in Swansea. A place where you can bring your own containers and bottles to fill up on dry goods, cleaning products and personal hygiene liquids. We've already saved over 10,000 pieces of plastic being sent to recycling, landfill or left to breakdown in nature and the movement is only getting bigger.
Anon SPW member gives her honest and heart wrenching account of being with loving, and letting go an Alcoholic partner.
I have lived the life of ‘The Wife of an Alcoholic’ for many years. It’s not a moniker I would have chosen for myself, but it is who I have become. Now, it is an identity I want to shed. I have a mountain to climb to become ‘me’ again. I am rebuilding myself – my mind and body- from the ground up.
Even before this pandemic research consistently showed that single parents are likely to experience loneliness and isolation. Loneliness and isolations has always been a big issue for single parents and something that is brought up over and over again with SPW members.
Mother's Day can be a mix of emotions for single parents. Whether you're navigating this day for the first time solo or looking for ways to make it special, there are plenty of ways to create meaningful moments with your children. Here are some tips and ideas gathered from our single parent community who have been through it themselves: