It’s always so rewarding to receive feedback on and recognition for who we are and what we do. Recently Geraldine Montgomerie from Chapeltown Community Nursery shared her impressions on Leeds Dads. Thank you Geraldine!
I am the company secretary of a community nursery and have really enjoyed supporting Leeds Dads activities this year, from face painting at their Christmas event to lending a freezer for the food parcels and helping prepare free activity packs for Dadstastic Day. Everything that they do has been remarkable and they have really stood out as doing something different, adapting to the pandemic to support parents and children in Leeds in a range of inventive ways. One of the things that moved me personally was their work with Drag Queen Storytime when there were protests about Drag Queens appearing in Leeds Libraries programming This is consistent with their really diverse approach to activities.
In 2011 a group of new dads looking for ways to spend more time with their babies set up their own playgroup in a café in Leeds City Centre. Now they’re opening doors for hundreds of other dads in the city. Welcome to the ‘Child Friendly Leeds Award Winning’ Leeds Dads!
Leeds Dads is a voluntary charitable organisation, supported by Leeds Christian Community Trust. They bring together a diverse community of fathers for social interaction and support; hosting regular free playgroups and breakfast clubs for around 30 dads and their kids, organising social events, hosting an active presence on social media for dads to share their experiences and signposting towards expert parenting support. Leeds Dads is unique in our key aim of supporting fathers to actively engage with their children and building lasting relationships. Their vision is to expand their output to build a Dad-Friendly Leeds – a city-wide culture of dads engaging with their pre-school kids.
Pre-Covid Activities
Leeds Dads Meet Up is a playgroup for dads and their pre-school kids. They met every third Sunday of the month from 2-4pm at The Holbeck Club. Around 30 dads and grandads meet with their children to enjoy arts craft, games, a singalong and storytime. It’s the home of Slung Low theatre group, who play an active role in promoting their message to dads in South Leeds.
Leeds Dads Breakfast Club ran in partnership with Aireborough Children’s Centre in Guiseley. It was launched following a series of suicides of local dads with young children. Taking place on the first Saturday of each month, their Breakfast Club provided a space for dads and preschool kids to enjoy cooking breakfast, arts and crafts, or just jump around! Leeds Dads had a fantastic reaction in Guiseley, bringing in 16 dads/session within just four sessions. The dads said the group helped combat stress and build a sense of peer support.
Adapting Under Covid
Coronavirus has stopped all face-face activities so Leeds Dads reinvented their services to cater for dads and the challenges they face in this new environment:
Leeds Dads #AskADad “The kids are becoming more irrational, badly behaved, unhappy.. throwing things.. bouts of anger.. serious fights with siblings.”
Through Facebook Live on Tuesday nights they offered parents an opportunity to talk to experts during a Facebook Live about issues affecting them during the current coronavirus situation. This included topics such as:
- Accessing health and care support
- Employment law, regulations around furlough,
- Benefits information, supporting children’s behaviour
- Going back to school
- Living with a disruptive or abusive partner
- Supporting both parents and childrens’ mental health
Leeds Dads and Kids Walks:
“I’ve had a complete loss of work/life balance. A lack of productivity, a lack of routine. No exercise.”
They launched Pram Friendly Walks to help support dads’ mental health and maintain their connections with the group. The walks have been developed within government guidelines and maintain social distancing. Up to 30 dads struggling with isolation meet other dads to share their feelings whilst gaining some well-needed exercise.
Dadstastic Day Online and Leeds Dads Virtual Playhouse:
“My wife imagined maternity to be 1:1 time with baby and taking weekly classes. Instead she’s taking care of two children as I’m working full time other than for paternity.”
This year Leeds Dads hosted the biggest online Father’s Day celebration in England! They ran free activities offering dozens of sessions that create opportunities for dads to interact with their families and kids up to primary age and introduce them to: music, dance, science, storytelling, and arts and crafts with over 500 activity packs delivered free to families in Leeds, so they could join in with the online fun at their own homes.
The playtime sessions for dads and kids takes place online on Sunday afternoons led by Daddy Alex and his daughter Imogen. It includes a dance session, Baby Raves and singalongs. They also share dads’ #Dadventure videos – kids’ adventures with dads in dinosaur suits, on obstacle courses, having water pistol fights and whatever family fun they can create.
Free Food Parcel Service: “All the money that was saved from not travelling to work, lunch breaks and travelling back has gone into the increased food shopping bill.”
In April 2020 Leeds Dads helped The Real Junk Food Project (now called Surplus to Purpose) to distribute 400 tons of redistributed food in one month. During lockdown from March to June 2020 Leeds Dads volunteers distributed over 21,000 meals and Leeds Dads directly delivered a thousand parcels of free fresh food through a confidential service every week to families in need across the city.
Social Media: “I am really struggling to get the kids educated.. they seem disillusioned, not communicating.” By expanding a 100-strong ‘WhatsApp’ group and Facebook reach of 70,000 users/month they are able to support families and dads experiencing hardships, especially during the current crisis.
Personal Stories
In August this year we lost one of our volunteers who took his life. Leeds Dads launched a fund to support his family and signposted our dads to bereavement support and support for those at risk of suicide.
Matt* and Mark* – both experienced depression. Matt also lived with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and hadn’t been out with friends for years. Matt now helps organise Leeds Dads Nights Out and Mark manages part of our Dadstastic Day event.
John* and Jules* had problems with alcohol and depression. We signposted both to support and they stayed engaged. John now manages his alcoholism and is working. James’ IAPT course helps him to combat his depression.
Aaron* lost his first child at birth. Leeds Dads helped him to combat anxiety, bond with his new baby, and build a lasting relationship.
Leo* was unsure of how to raise his new baby because of his disabilities. Our support has helped build his confidence to be active in his child’s life.
In a recent survey 78% of dads said they come to Leeds Dads to spend quality time with their children. “It helped me feel confident to spend time with my son on my own”.
*Not their real names
If you would like to support Leeds Dads, please donate!
