Rebecca Giraud

I have been a single mum since 2006 living in the South West with my daughter Saskia who is 11.

Having experienced many of the struggles associated with the breakdown of a relationship,  I am familiar with the endless feelings of guilt and the overwhelming fatigue that can make it so hard to provide the emotional and financial support needed for the children. Few of us decide to be single parents out of choice, and for most it takes many months of reflection (with support from family and friends if we are lucky) to find the strength and self-confidence to really move on.

Things today are much better for me, and sometimes they are quite wonderful. Thanks to the kindness of others and my own hard work I have much to celebrate.

Professional Background

I have spent the majority of the my professional career working for non-government organisations in the area of Social Development.  In particular I have worked overseas in Southern Africa and the South Pacific in HIV/AIDS and in the UK in the same area.  I have also worked with the homeless and those experiencing Domestic Abuse.  I have worked at project management level, co-ordinated research projects and have been, and continue to be, involved in carrying out strategic reveiws of services for vulnerable groups.

Bob  Greig

I have been a single parent since 2004. My two daughters Priya and Anya live with me on a full-time basis. In the last few years I have experienced the highpoints and downside of raising a family on my own. I’ve experienced redundancy, some ill-health, a lack of disposable income and a constant nagging feeling that I should always be doing a bit better. But on the other hand, I get to see my children grow up day by day and in truth I have a better relationship with my daughters now than I ever would have done before. It’s just special.  

But it has taken me some time to get back on my feet.  I’d say 4 years or so. My divorce was tangled, messy, and complicated. Add a contentious dose of the Children’s Act into the mix and you will begin to understand why at the end of the process I was both wiser and weaker. I’d gone from a fairly laid back and happy professional to a man who couldn’t enter a supermarket for fear of having another panic attack. In those dark years I’d stopped socialising and found safety only in my own house.

Like all single dads I meet, none of us are brought up to raise families on our own. There is a degree of “make it up as you go along” in my house – at times that can be fun; at other times it all feels a bit unsettling. There is love though – and that is what really matters.

Like ALL single Dads, I like that point in the day when the kids are in bed. Then I watch Newsnight and drink Rioja and re-read books by Alan Silitoe and Stan Barstow. One of the (many) joys of being a single parent is that you get to watch and listen to what you want again!

Professional Background

A couple of years voluntary work with the Mission to Seafarers was followed by a sixteen year stretch with the Church of England in the field of property management. A short time in private property consultancy with King Sturge followed where I was project managing the transformation of churches who were looking to bring community/mixed use into their buildings.

The key to successfully managing a complex property project is to ensure you work with the very best professional team - and by that I mean individuals who combine enthusiasm and technical know-how. I believe that same principle applies to single parents who do need occasional help and support to make the most out of our situation.