What's going on? The children's centre in Norwich decided to build on the fathers' group it has already established by inviting all the dads to the centre's cafe for breakfast every Saturday. It provides an opportunity for dads and their children to take part in a different activity each week before sitting down to eat together. This is particularly important, as recent research from the charity that runs the centre, Action for Children, showed that dads are not engaging with children's centres enough.
What kind of activities? The list of recent ventures includes a trip to the local fire station, a pirate-themed morning at the centre, a picnic in the park and a session at the local swimming pool.
How's it going? The dads and the children are really enjoying having some quality time together. It increases the confidence of the dads and makes the centre a more father-friendly environment. The whole experience has also increased the children's confidence in talking to adults and other children.
What else is it doing? The centre has recently started letting mums attend, but only if they bring dad. This appears to encourage those fathers who lack the confidence to attend on their own.
