Free Event - Saturday 15th September !!

More from the Fatherhood Institute

                              Reconnecting young people with their fathers

The Fatherhood Institute is developing a pilot 'Father-finding' project to support young people who do not see their fathers - to address issues arising from this experience, and to reconnect (where desired, possible and safe) with their father and/or with paternal relatives.

We are looking for: • Examples of good practice in this field
• Examples of good practice in the related field of ‘family finding’ where looked-after or adopted children are put in touch with relatives
• A partner organisation that engages directly with families and would be interested in developing child-father reconnections with us
• Individuals with relevant expertise interested in participating in an Advisory Group
• Organisations skilled in ‘discovery’ of long-lost relatives.
 The unique feature of this project is that it starts with the needs and wishes of the young person. The child is the client. It is therefore different from, and complementary to, projects which help distressed fathers connect with children they do not see.

If you can help, or if you need further information, please email Fiona Harrison.

Involving fathers in sickle-cell screening

 The National Institute for Health Research is researching how fathers are involved in ante-natal screening for sickle cell disorders.
 Are you a man aged 18-40? Have you become a father in the last three years? Was your partner a sickle cell carrier? Do you know that part of the care for mothers and fathers-to-be is to be offered screening for sickle cell?

If so, the researchers would like to hear from you. Please contact Dr Maria Berghs by email or call (01904) 321 612. If you know of a dad who may fit the bill, please pass on these details to him.

Young men and unintended pregnancy

 A team at Queen’s University Belfast is developing an educational resource about unintended pregnancy, aimed at teenage men. The resource, entitled If I were Jack... is based upon an interactive video drama, which tells the story of an unintended teenage pregnancy from the point of view of a young man.
 The If I were Jack... team led by Dr Maria Lohan is in the process of developing the resource for use within the relationship and sexuality education (RSE) curricula of post-primary schools in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and it will be available in summer 2013. It may also have potential for use internationally and outside of classroom settings.
 If you are interested in following the development of the resource, or accessing the research publications on which it is based, visit the If I Were Jack... website for more information. You can also contact QUB research fellow Áine Aventin by email or call 028 9097 2463.

Young dads survey

 The Family Strategic Partnership is working with a range of fathers' organisations (including the Fatherhood Institute) to find out how charities support young men to make the transition to fatherhood. They would like to hear from young dads about your experiences of becoming a father, from the time you found out you were going to be a dad, through pregnancy and the birth, to where you are now.
 The FSP will use the dads' stories to write a report that lets people know what support is out there for dads, and what's missing.

Take the survey here.
 If you have any questions about the survey, please email Jessica Cundy at Barnardo's.

 


The Fatherhood Institute, Unit 5 Warren Courtyard, Savernake, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 3UU

Phone 0845 6341328  
Registered charity number 1075104  Company number 3709549

August - Dads Group Focus - North Oxford Children's Centre - Cutteslowe

North Oxford Children’s Centre
Cutteslowe Primary School
Wren Road
OX2 7SX
Tel: 01865 559742
northoxfordchildrenscentre@oxfordshire.gov.uk

We are situated in Wren Road on the Cutteslowe School site near the Banbury Road Roundabout

The Dads Group is held every third Saturday of the month.

Philippa Sherry who runs the Dads Group and her son Fred

Your Name:  Philippa Sherry

Name and address of Children’s Centre : North Oxford Children’s Centre, Cutteslowe Primary School, Wren Road, OX2 7SX

When does your Dads Group meet ?  Every third Saturday of the month

What can the Dads and their children at your Group ?  The Dads get to have a fun play with their children.  They get a lovely cuppa and a croissant and time to chat with other Dads and male carers.  We try to provide something new and interesting for the children to do each month and are working on planning some trips and visitors with something enjoyable for fathers and their offspring to do together.  We have a baby massage session in May, and Claire Goodall, the local mosaicist, coming to June’s Dads’ group to finish off the mosaic work many of the mothers have been doing over the last few weeks.

What do they enjoy the most?  Playing with children and having time to chat and relax with other fathers who share similar work and childcare commitments

Why is Dads work important to you and what do you enjoy most about it?  It is important to me because I feel that the children’s centre can sometimes be perceived as being solely a female hub of activity.  I want to celebrate and nurture the male role model these children have and empower him to come and use the centre confidently.

Which Father Figure (fact/fiction/past/present) do you admire the most and why?  I admire my half brother the most as a father figure.  He has three daughters and has always made the effort to spend time with them individually and really understand them as people.  He has educated himself in child development and nurtured their interests and strengths as they have grown up. 

Dads Go Wild !! - Sat 15th Sept

An Evening for Dads to share their experiences !

Family Play Day on The Leys - Thur 26th July

Fancy appearing on the TV ??

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Men and fathers wanted for TV documentary Testimony Films are making a major three part BBC4 series about Love and Marriage in Britain. It is a follow up to their acclaimed series A Century of Fatherhood (if you haven't already seen it, do take the time to watch - it's still available here on the BBC4 site). The programme makers want to sympathetically portray the experiences of men and fathers in successful marriages and long-term cohabitations which stand the test of time. The voices of men are rarely heard in programmes on relationships. It is REALLY IMPORTANT that the programme makers get to redress the balance. Testimony Films are looking for men to contribute to one of the programmes which explores the challenges couples faced from the 1980s to the present day. It explores how romantic love often changes - and deepens- after the realities of a lifetime commitment. How would you describe the love you felt for your partner when you first got together, after three years, when you had your children and now? How did your love change and mature while you both pursued careers, raised a family, coped with money worries or illness? Perhaps there was a breakdown of communication, sexual problems or an extra marital affair? The programme is especially interested in any dramatic story that may have brought you closer together as a couple. In the 1980s many couples rejected marriage for cohabitation, and in the 1990s saw cohabitation as a trial for marriage. After some years, perhaps after decades, some did get married: if this is your experience the team would really like to hear your story and whether being married changed or did not change your experience of love and commitment. If you have been through divorce, what is the story of how you found love again? What were your expectations of a long term relationship second time round? How did you find the reality of love and remarriage/re-partnering, once, twice, three times? What are the challenges of love and passion within an extended step-family? The programme makers would also be interested in any woman who wanted to contribute to her man’s story as well. They can offer a small fee of £100, plus expenses, as well as a copy of the programme, to anyone they film. Interested? Please email Pete Vance or Emily Sivyer at Testimony Films, 12 Great George St, Bristol BS1 5RS or call them on 0117 925 8589.

The Fatherhood Institute, Unit 5 Warren Courtyard, Savernake, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 3UU Phone 0845 6341328 Registered charity number 1075104 Company number 3709549