Lana and Ruben see their portrait unveiled

THE faces of 15 parents and their children are on display in King’s Cross for a new exhibition championing single parents.

The boards in Pancras Square were unveiled on Thursday.

Many of the displays discuss the issues single parents face, managing day-to-day childcare, loneliness and legal disputes. But mostly, they challenge the negative stereotypes around single parent families.

One woman who took part, Lana, was diagnosed with postpartum depression after giving birth to her son Ruben. She was placed in a mum and baby unit.

She said: “I felt ashamed when I first saw the board and then I thought, no, there shouldn’t be anything to be ashamed of. So, I’ve made the choice to be vulnerable.”

Although 90 per cent of the parents supported by Gingerbread are women, there are some men.

Vikas has a 10-year-old daughter, his board says: “I know a lot of single dads and unfortunately a lot of them are not having a good time. The community does exist and we have our own struggles and we have our own challenges.”