Single parents tell us how lonely they feel, particularly once the children are in bed. It’s hard for them to find others who truly understand the challenges they face. Most single parents manage on tight budgets. Socialising with other adults is tricky because of limited and expensive childcare. Nearly 10,000 single parents are active on our forum but it’s no longer entirely fit for purpose. It is hard to navigate and its structure can prevent users from building supportive friendships

By involving single parents in the redesign of our new online forum, and improving the procedures and training for our moderators, we will create a safer space that single parents find easy to use and navigate. This will allow more single parents to connect with each other for support, advice and a listening ear. The opportunity to belong to an active and supportive community of single parents will help reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation, thereby improving single parents’ well-being.