Parents without pressure

Holiday periods can be stressful and lonely times for single parents, as the everyday pressures of working, finding child care, and still providing a nurturing environment for both parent and child are amplified by the festive spirit.

Parents Without Partners, a unique, non-profit organisation operating in North Sydney, Macarthur, the Hills district and the City of Sydney, aims to ease some of the pressure on single parents during the Easter holidays, with a special calendar of activities to complement their yearly program.

“We pride ourselves on the fact that our group is focused on the welfare of our members and their happiness, and this reflects on the functions that we hold for our members,” said spokesperson Kim Crane.

41 years ago, Parents Without Partners was formed to cater for single parents in need of friendship and support after a separation, divorce or bereavement. Today, it is still the only organisation of its type operating in The City of Sydney. There is a small fee for joining, which goes to keep the society running, and once people join they can access all of the center’s facilities in any area.

Parents Without Partners is dedicated to providing activities for both parents and children, so both parties can enjoy themselves amongst their peers. On the Easter weekend, for example, the City branch hosted a Country Music Night at Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL, a visit to a few hotels in the Rocks area, and a Champagne lunch at Malabar. On the Monday, they held an Easter Egg Hunt at Baulkham Hills for the kids to attend, along with other fun activities.

In non-holiday periods, regular activities like Parties, BBQ’s, Adults Weekends Away, Trivia Nights, Dances, plus special events like Winery trips are held just about every night of the week, and also on weekends. Special kid-focused activities include Jindabyne Long weekend snow trips and excursions to Jamberoo and Taronga Zoo.

For more information on how to join, or the yearly program, contact Maggie on 9554-3444 for the City of Sydney Branch, and Head Office on 9833-2633 for details about other branches. Or visit the website www.pwp-nsw.org.au