Strengthening support for separated families
Building products manufacturer Forterra has donated £150.00 to Both Parents Matter, a national charity offering emotional and practical support to separated parents. The Northampton branch of the charity, located near Forterra’s headquarters, will use the donation to train new volunteers and produce outreach materials to raise awareness in the local community.
Founded in 1974 after a newspaper ad invited separated dads to meet and share advice, Both Parents Matter has since grown into one of the UK’s leading shared parenting charities.
The charity, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, operates 23 support groups across the UK and handles over 20,000 calls annually via its confidential helpline. Support groups meet online and in local cafes, halls, or community spaces, offering peer-led sessions where parents can talk through challenges. They also receive emotional support and guidance on navigating family courts, and share insights for maintaining a meaningful and beneficial relationship with their children after separation.
While open to all, the majority of service users are fathers struggling to maintain contact with their children, often in the face of fractured communication, housing insecurity, and mounting legal pressures. The parents are often accompanied by members of their wider family, from parents and siblings to grandparents and new partners, and other vital connections for the child which may have been broken.
Crucially, the charity works to intervene early, encouraging parents to resolve issues cooperatively and avoid escalation to court wherever possible. Its volunteers, many of whom have been through the process themselves, help people find practical routes forward and make emotionally informed decisions which put the child first, even under extreme strain.
Both Parents Matter has three part-time staff but is otherwise entirely volunteer-led and supports parents at all stages of the separation process.
Sam, CEO of Both Parents Matter, said, “We often meet people at the lowest point in their lives. Many are struggling with isolation, financial pressure and a sense of helplessness on top of not seeing their children. Just being in a room with others who understand can be transformative. Forterra’s donation means we can reach more people in the Northampton area and equip our volunteers with the tools and training they need to make a difference.”
The charity works with other organisations, including Mankind, Matchmothers and the Family Hubs Network, and also campaigns for reforms to the family justice system.
Joe Parker, Head of Marketing Communications at Forterra, said, “Both Parents Matter is doing vital work to support families in difficult and often overwhelming circumstances. As a Northampton-based business, we’re proud to support a local group that helps parents build resilience and find a way forward. We hope this donation allows more people to access the support they need.”
The donation forms part of Forterra’s new Local Charity Initiative, with which individual individual factories and offices can provide funding to support causes close to their communities.