Men Behaving Dadly offers a warm friendly environment with positive opportunities for safe supported and creative play sessions for dads/male carers and their children. With the aim of spending quality time, relationship building and having fun while also raising dads/male carers awareness of the value of play.
Through the funding we received, we were able to host creative, fun sessions for dads and children including arts, crafts, games and improving our social media/website and reach more dads to make MBD bigger and better.
We organised weekly Saturday sessions, approximately 15-20 dads and 20 children attend MBD each week. MBD
provide arts, crafts, games and snacks, including new experiences such as trips out to local parks,
cinemas even camping. The MBD group often talk about wellbeing and build on their relationships each
week, and we can sign post to other services as needed, the dads are a great group who will often talk
about their own individual/family/child problems/worries in a safe inclusive space and others will offer
advice and a listening ear in a friendly supportive way.
We have encouraged all dads and male carers in our MBD. This is a growing project and as an inclusive group
we welcome everyone, one of our new dads is profoundly deaf, non of our current dads sign but we have
all been learning little by little to make this dad feel as comfortable as possible, he’s always included and
encouraged to share his ideas and join in planning meetings, he has now become part of the MBD family
and has said that 'really happy I joined the group, have made many great friends I will often message the
group chat through the week, and look forward to the sessions on a Saturday, I have joined in with lots of
activities, both my children have made friends it's lovely seeing them play every week.'
The project has been a great success, during this project we have gained 8 new dads who attend weekly
session, with their 10 children. I think one of the most interesting things about this project is how
different the dads are themselves, but make such good friends so easily. All the dads are really
welcoming to new people, a really lovely group who are passionate about being 'good dads'. We usually
find that if a dad comes with his children, he comes back often which is great. We have a review book that
dads and children can write in anonymously if they like with new ideas, how to improve etc we always
get everyone included on new ideas and opinions, a group for dads ran by the dads.