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GINGERBREAD, THE CHARITY FOR SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES

Registered charity 230750 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as GINGERBREAD, NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR ONE PARENT FAMILIES, ONE PARENT FAMILIES, THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE UNMARRIED MOTHER AND HER CHILD

Gingerbread (National Council for One Parent Families) is the national charity working with single parent families to understand their challenges and ensure that their needs are met. We provide expert information and advice, membership and training opportunities. We campaign against poverty and stigma to promote fair and equal treatment and opportunity for single parent families.

Causes: Education/training · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£1.5m
Latest spending
£959k
Registered
1964
Accounts read
FY2026

Financial health, per its FY2026 accounts

The accounts state that the charity ended the financial year with a total surplus of £532,269, significantly strengthening its liquidity and reserves position compared to the prior year. Unrestricted general funds increased to £874,343, providing a position well above the trustees' policy target of covering three months' close-down operating costs. The trustees confirmed the charity is a going concern with sufficient resources to continue operating for the foreseeable future.

Automated summary of the FY2026 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Donations and legacies (54% of income)
“The largest components of this came from donations and legacies of £805,553”
Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: three months' close-down operating costs (held: £874k)
“The trustees have adopted a policy that aims to have sufficient general funds set aside to cover at least three months’ close-down operating costs if needed.”
Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Gingerbread had previously acted as the sole Trustee of the John Bruce’s Will Trust, a UK registered charity whose sole purpose was to hold and distribute funds to Gingerbread. The Trust had distributed all of its funds to Gingerbread in prior years and remained dormant prior to closure.
“As at 13 March 2026, the John Bruce’s Will Trust was closed. Gingerbread had previously acted as the sole Trustee of the John Bruce’s Will Trust, a UK registered charity whose sole purpose was to hold and distribute funds to Gingerbread.” — page 41
Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Albert Goodman LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Gingerbread (matched by registered charity number).

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

Official officers record.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram · linkedin

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2026)

Total income
£1.5m
Total spending
£959k
Cost of raising funds
£360k
Reserves (reported)
£889k
Employees
13

Reported reserves equal ~11.1 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (54% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 24.2% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2026£1.5m£959k
31/03/2025£2.1m£2.5m
31/03/2024£2.5m£2.2m
31/03/2023£1.8m£1.9m
31/03/2022£1.8m£2.1m

Common questions

Is GINGERBREAD, THE CHARITY FOR SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES financially healthy?

Per its FY2026 accounts: The accounts state that the charity ended the financial year with a total surplus of £532,269, significantly strengthening its liquidity and reserves position compared to the prior year. Unrestricted general funds increased to £874,343, providing a position well above the trustees' policy target of covering three months' close-down operating costs. The trustees confirmed the charity is a going concern with sufficient resources to continue operating for the foreseeable future. Its FY2026 accounts were audited by Albert Goodman LLP.

Who funds GINGERBREAD, THE CHARITY FOR SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES?

Funders whose own accounts filings name GINGERBREAD, THE CHARITY FOR SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES as a grant recipient include THE LINBURY TRUST, THE DULVERTON TRUST, JOSEPH ROWNTREE FOUNDATION, THE STEWARTS LAW FOUNDATION, SMALLWOOD TRUST.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE LINBURY TRUSTFY2025£70kTowards the core costs providing advice / guidance to single parents.
THE DULVERTON TRUSTFY2023£60kCore Funding
JOSEPH ROWNTREE FOUNDATIONFY2023£58kGingerbread - Making the case for reform
THE LINBURY TRUSTFY2023£50kTo build on the success of the telephone helpline. Third and final payment of a three-year £150k grant.
THE DULVERTON TRUSTFY2025£50kGingerbread advice and information service 2024/25
THE LINBURY TRUSTFY2024£50kTo build on the success of the telephone helpline for single parent families.
THE STEWARTS LAW FOUNDATIONFY2026£50kDomestic Abuse
THE LINBURY TRUSTFY2022£50kCore support towards the charity’s telephone helpline which provides advice and guidance to single parents in financial difficulty. Second payment of a £150,000
SMALLWOOD TRUSTFY2021£49k
SMALLWOOD TRUSTFY2023£30k
HIGHWAY ONE TRUSTFY2024£15k
HIGHWAY ONE TRUSTFY2025£15k
THE RAYNE FOUNDATIONFY2022£15kTowards a series of online workshops to provide single parents with an interactive toolkit to improve their wellbeing, mental health and resilience.
THE PRUDENCE TRUSTFY2022£15kWellbeing workshops for single parents
THE ADINT CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£10k
CECIL PILKINGTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£10k
THE BEAVERBROOKS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£10k
THE ADINT CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£10k
SMALLWOOD TRUSTFY2022£7k
THE BEAVERBROOKS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£5k
THE WYSELIOT ROSE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£5k
CHARLES S FRENCH CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£5k
THE WYSELIOT ROSE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£5k
THE ALLEN OVERY SHEARMAN STERLING FOUNDATIONFY2024£5k
THE WYSELIOT ROSE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£5k
THE HAMPSTEAD WELLS AND CAMPDEN TRUSTFY2023£5kto support local single parents through advice and information
CHARLES S FRENCH CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£5k
THE WYSELIOT ROSE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£5k
THE WO STREET CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONFY2022£4k
G M MORRISON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£3k
CECIL PILKINGTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£3k
CECIL PILKINGTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£3k
CECIL PILKINGTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£3k
THE RAINFORD TRUSTFY2022£3kWelfare
G M MORRISON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£3k
G M MORRISON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£3k
THE HAMPSTEAD WELLS AND CAMPDEN TRUSTFY2024£2kFriendship Groups initiative
MISS E F RATHBONE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£2k
The Dentons UK and Middle East LLP Charitable TrustFY2024£2k
LORD BARNBY'S FOUNDATIONFY2024£2k
CHAPMAN CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£2k
The Dentons UK and Middle East LLP Charitable TrustFY2025£2k
BNA CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATIONFY2025£2k
THE DAVID FAMILY FOUNDATIONFY2024£2k
THE JEANNINE VASSILIOU CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£1k
G M MORRISON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£1k
DORIS FIELD CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1kSingle payment
LORD BARNBY'S FOUNDATIONFY2023£1k
THE DAVID FAMILY FOUNDATIONFY2023£1k
THE STANTON BALLARD CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1kOther organisations

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Community Fund27/03/2023£400kScaling up Gingerbread’s single parent peer support group network
City Bridge Foundation25/03/2022£227kGrant to Gingerbread, the charity for single parent families
UK government01/04/2021£172kHMRC Grant Funding
UK government01/04/2021£154kHMRC Grant Funding
UK government01/04/2021£156kHMRC Grant Funding
UK government13/08/2020£351kCoronavirus Community Support Fund
City Bridge Foundation21/05/2020£131kGrant to Gingerbread, the charity for single parent families
UK government01/04/2020£174kHMRC Grant Funding
The National Lottery Community Fund20/12/2018£10kDevelope from Acorns to Oak Trees
The National Lottery Community Fund19/12/2018£355kSingle Parent Support Service
Sport England17/08/2018£389kGetting Single Parent Families Active
City Bridge Foundation16/10/2017£50kGrant to Gingerbread, the charity for single parent families
The National Lottery Community Fund03/02/2017£430kSEL/2/11 - Working Forward: Support for lone parents in Kent, Medway
The National Lottery Community Fund03/02/2017£395kSel/2/5 - Working Forward: Support for lone parents in Essex, Thurroc
The National Lottery Community Fund01/06/2016£419kMake it Work - Skills, Enterprise and Employment
The National Lottery Community Fund26/04/2016£29kSEL/2/5 - Working Forward. Support for lone parents
The National Lottery Community Fund26/04/2016£32kSEL/2/11 - Working Forward. Support for lone parents
The National Lottery Community Fund16/12/2015£497kGingerbread advice, information & support for disadvantaged single peo
The National Lottery Community Fund13/03/2013£192kAdvice, information and support for disadvantaged single parent families
The National Lottery Community Fund30/09/2010£387kLS CONV Rd 5 Economically Inactive Families Convergence Area
The National Lottery Community Fund20/10/2009£140kSingle parents' work aspirations
The National Lottery Community Fund10/07/2006£5kPublication of Young Mum's Guide
The National Lottery Community Fund30/03/2006£5kYoung Mum's Guide Y&H
The National Lottery Community Fund23/03/2006£5k'Young Mums Guide' Publication
The National Lottery Community Fund16/02/2006£5kYoung Mum's Guide for North West

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
THE LEGAL EDUCATION FOUNDATION1£554k
THE KPMG FOUNDATION1£263k
THE ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOUNDATION1£221k
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATION1£201k
CRIPPLEGATE FOUNDATION1£186k
THE LANKELLYCHASE FOUNDATION1£160k
THE PENNIES FOUNDATION1£109k
THE SEGELMAN TRUST1£92k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with Gingerbread Family Support Limited.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
GINGERBREAD, THE CHARITY FOR SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES£1.5m——unclear—no doubt
Gingerbread Family Support Limited FY2025£1.8m—0unclear—no doubt
THE GUISBOROUGH BRIDGE ASSOCIATION FY2025£111k—0above10.0%noted
GREENFINGERS CHARITY FY2025£985k—0unclear21.0%no doubt
THE BREAD AND BUTTER THING. FY2025£7.8m——within—no doubt
FRG LTD FY2025£2.3m£60,001 - £70,0004below—no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.