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Who are the ‘fathers in Gloucestershire' we aim to support?Gloucestershire is a predominantly rural area with a population of 565,000 people. The county has 2 large urban areas, Gloucester and Cheltenham, which are separated by a greenbelt of land and form a conurbation consisting of a combined population of 220,000. The 2001 Census shows that there were 101,700 males in full time employment in the county and 20,100 doing part-time jobs. It does not say how many of these men are fathers. It does say that in 2001 there were 65,500 fathers in Gloucestershire, of whom, 1,400 were lone fathers. Beyond this, statistics are difficult to obtain; whilst Fathers Direct, the UK charity advocating for fathers do hold statistics on some fathers issues, there is no ‘mapping' of fathers, no details publicly available on the make-up of fathers in Gloucestershire, or indeed in the UK. The Social Focus on Men published in 2001 by the Office of National Statistics acknowledges this, stating that ‘official data sources on fatherhood are relatively scarce', that ‘most national surveys in Britain have not asked men if they have ever fathered a child because of the innate validity problems: men can conceal parenthood or may not even know about conceptions'. The Social Focus on Men states that ‘mothers have long occupied centre stage in Britain as far as parenting is concerned'. Fathers are a significant and hidden marginalized group; traditional services and parenting support are still largely directed at mothers. However, during the past decade the roles, responsibilities and influences of fathers have become a focus of public and political debate. Attitudes towards fathers, and the expectations of them, are changing. Steve Biddulph, the well known author and family therapist points to a father's role as being equal and complementary to a mother's; i.e. a father's role is just as important as a mother's. Biddulph himself states that he sometimes ‘gets it wrong' – that learning to be a father is an ongoing experience, consulting with your partner, reading, and talking to other men; you become a father, you're not born one! Whilst statistics on fatherhood in Gloucestershire are difficult to come by, we do know that fathers need as much support as mothers, and that services for fathers should complement those provided for mothers. The Fathers in Gloucestershire network, as a partnership of statutory and voluntary agencies hope to improve the quality of services for fathers in the county. This website is part of that endeavour. On this page you will find listed details of support for fathers offered by some of the organisations that are part of the Fathers in Gloucestershire network:
Organisations and Projects providing services for Gloucestershire fathers Name of organisation: PATA – Playgroup and Toddler Association (Registered Charity: 293773) Service provided for fathers: More and more fathers are becoming actively involved with the development and care of their children in the early years. PATA is committed to encouraging fathers to attend toddler groups in particular, as these groups provide great opportunities for adults to meet outside the home and make new friends. New parents, particularly single parents, can feel very isolated and the informal atmosphere of a local toddler group gives babies and toddlers opportunities to develop their social skills through companionship, and adults to share the experiences and anxieties of life with young children! PATA has no “father only” toddler groups, but where fathers have taken those tentative steps over the threshold of their local toddler group, they have been welcomed and found benefits for themselves and their children. Community playgroups and out of school clubs also provide opportunities for fathers to be involved in their child's early years and have the opportunities to develop a range of management skills through committee involvement. All these opportunities build confidence and aid the personal and professional development of parents/carers. Contact details and or website: Name of organisation: Sure Start - Barton, Tredworth & White City. Service provided for fathers: A weekly sessions for all fathers, dads and male carers of young children on a Saturday morning from 10.00 am to 12.00 pm. This is a very informal group which meets and bonds with their children in a safe and friendly environment, looking at issues of play, learning, social and emotional development, and health just to name a few things that they do. The group is facilitated by Sure Start workers and arts and crafts things are left out for the participants to use if they wish to do so. The children have good quality learning opportunities available and there is now an outdoor play area which is safe and child friendly. Contact details and or website: Ismail Ginwalla – Sure Start Development Officer. The Trust Centre, Conduit Street, Gloucester, GL1 4XH. Tel: 01452 544043, 01452 550059. Name of organisation: Gardners Lane Early Years Centre. Service provided for fathers: A group for fathers (dad's, step dads, uncles, and granddads) and their children runs approx once a month at Gardners Lane Early Years. The aim of the group is to provide opportunities for fathers to spend quality time with their children and to promote the importance of themselves in their children's lives. A variety of mini bus trips are provided in the centre and also mini bus trips are arranged to local attractions. Two members of staff help run the group, which we hope is informal but supportive. There are also opportunities to discuss parenting issues with staff. Contact details and or website: Julie Clifton – Community Family Worker. Gardners Lane Early Years Centre, Gardners Lane, Cheltenham, GL51 9JW. Name of organisation: Hesters Way Primary School & Early Years Centre. Service provided for fathers: “Dads & Kids” nationally-accredited I.T. course, with fathers and their school-aged children learning new I.T. skills together. The group meets on Friday afternoons, with fathers working with the tutor (from GLOSCAT) from 12.45-1.45pm, then joined by their children released from school classes from 1.45-2.45pm, and supported by a member of school staff. Fathers work on individual projects, relevant to their child's curriculum topic in school, and gain a nationally-recognised I.T. qualification from the OCR (Oxford, Cambridge & RSA) Board. “Dads & Kids play sessions”, with fathers and their pre-school children meeting together to have fun and play on Fridays from 11.30am-1.00pm. The group provides an opportunity for fathers with pre-school children to meet each week and try out different activities with their children, whilst socialising in a supportive environment. The sessions are staffed by a male member of the EYC team and a male YMCA worker, together with Sure Start support. The EYC offers a range of services to children and their families : Nursery sessions; Family Time; Drop-In sessions; Rising 3s; Tiny Tots; Bumps & Babes (under 2s); a wide variety of Adult Learning opportunities including several accredited courses. Contact details and or website: Julie Campbell
- Adult Learning Co-ordinator. Hesters
Way Early Years Centre, Dill Avenue, Cheltenham, GL51 0ES.
Name of organisation: Cheltenham YMCA. Service provided for fathers: 2006. YMCA hope to re-launch the Dads & Lads / Dads & Kids group (involving shared sport, cookery, and trip activities), using resources provided by YMCA England. Contact details and or website: Francis Barton - Children's Activities Worker. Cheltenham YMCA, 6 Vittoria Walk, Cheltenham, GL50 1TP. Name of organisation: Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust; Teenage Pregnancy Midwives. Service provided for fathers: Assistance in providing information for young dads via Young Fathers Outreach Service/ young fathers resource booklet. The Teenage Pregnancy Midwives aim to promote positive images of young fathers in maternity hospitals across Gloucestershire and to ensure that midwives are inclusive of and aware of the needs of young fathers accessing maternity services. Contact details and or website: Name of organisation: Gloucester Social Services; Parenting Puzzle. Service provided for fathers: Parenting Puzzle The Parenting Puzzle course is a six-session programme designed to support parents/ carers of adolescents. Parenting Puzzle uses interactive theatre to highlight situations parents may find themselves in. Talking to the Fist course A five-session programme designed to support parents/carers experiencing conflict or violence from their child. Practical help “What can I do when my child….” Drop in service also available. Comments from parents/carers who have attended: “Knowing I'm not on my own” “There has been a good improvement in how I react to my child” “Meeting other parents in the same situation” “I feel more confident in dealing with conflict situations. I try to stop things before they get too out of hand” “The role-play of Molly (Mum) and Jack (son) is just what happens at home” “Sharing our experiences with other parents” Contact details and or website: Parenting Puzzle, Gloucester Social Services, Russet House, 35 Russet Close, Tuffley, Gloucester, GL4 0RQ. Name of organisation: Parentline Plus. Service provided for fathers: Support through a range or services for parents and carers. Free and confidential National helpline – 0808 800 2222. Additional 1-1 telephone support . Telephone courses. Email helpline – parentsupport@parentlineplus.org.uk Textphone – 0800 783 6783. Interactive website. Leaflets and publications. Workshops covering a range of parenting issues for father's of babies through all of the ages and stages to teenagers. All of these services are free in Gloucestershire. Contact details and or website: Karen Morris
- Outreach Worker, Parentline Plus Gloucestershire, Willow House,
Slad Road, Stroud, GL5 1QJ. | |
