NEYDL-Annual-Rep-2023.indd

‘Thank you so much for sharing DigiDAD (Think Dad! Father Inclusive Toolkit). I am very impressed by the work that is being done by the project. It made me think about how I can engage with dads, and I will be using DigiDAD information to support dads as well.’ (Midwife) ‘I don’t think I’d be at the stage I am nowwithout North East Young Dads and Lads.’ (Young Dad) 12 North East Young Lads & Dads | ANNUAL REPORT 2023 STORY GATHERING AND SYSTEM BARRIERS INQUIRY By Will Patterson & Dr Richard Gibbons We are currently delivering a number of projects which support the different communities of Gateshead. In last year’s NEYDL Annual Report, we detailed how some of our young dads had received training to gather people’s stories as part of a research endeavour. In partnership with the Gateshead Community Bridgebuilders and funded by The Lankelly Chase Foundation, this inquiry mapped thousands of factors that people shared with us about their lives, which highlighted many difficult-to-see systemic challenges people face in Gateshead. This work has now evolved into a number of peer community groups, one of which focuses on marginalised young people. Supported by Will (NEYDL Peer Enabler) this work offers a weekly session which seeks to support young people to address their day-to-day problems and difficulties. Because the stories we collected suggest how young people are often excluded from meaningful participation in decision-making spaces, our groups are built around certain core principles. They are ‘relationship centred’; created as open and supportive spaces where the group members make decisions that help to steer how the space evolves and shapes moving forward. Groups also embrace the idea of ‘transformational participation’, which is promoted by supporting young people to develop their motivation and confidence to engage in decision making processes. Long term it is our ambition that the young people currently supported by this project become role models and community champions within their communities, just like Will Patterson, Dylan Brown, Adam Gorzelanczyk and Mark Ridden, the four young dads employed by NEYDL as Peer Link Workers and Peer Enablers on behalf of this inquiry over the past 3 years. AMBASSADADS ASSEMBLE! By Dr Linzi Ladlow & Robert Oughton The AmbassaDADS are a group of 20 young dads from Tyne & Wear, County Durham and Teesside working together as a collective to affect social, policy and practice change that improves the lives of young fathers. The group has grown from the pioneering work of NEYDL’s Tyne and Wear based Young Dads Council, some of which has been detailed in previous editions of the charity’s Annual Report. This includes the creation of a poster and e-zine responding to the BALTIC’s ‘Equal Play’ exhibition led by International Artist Albert Potrony and supported by Dr Michael J Richardson https://www. theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/sep/27/they-wanted-to-end-masculinity- the-artist-inspired-by-anti-sexist-mens-groups Supported by NEYDL, Professor Anna Tarrant and Dr Linzi Ladlow from the University of Lincoln, key highlights from the group’s activities over the past year include the following: Father Unknown: Inspired by and co- created with the AmbassaDADS, former NEYDL trustee Dr Michael J Richardson and former NEYDL employee Jonah York presented a 50-minute play about young fatherhood to sold out audiences at Durham’s Gala Theatre (15th June) and Northern Stage (16th and 17th June). Starring Ryan Noble, the play included a post- performance Q&A on Wednesday and Saturday evenings involving AmbassaDADS members. The play now features as a permanent recording via the charity’s DigiDAD website https://www.digidad.uk/ father-unknown/ Think Dad! Father Inclusive Practice Toolkit: AmbassaDADS members co-created a professional development toolkit following extensive peer research with other young dads and professionals. Launched via a webinar event attended by 165 professionals on 20th February 2023, this resource has been made freely accessibly via the charities DigiDAD website: https://www.digidad.uk/wp-content/ uploads/2023/09/NEYDL_toolkit_v13.pdf  BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat: 4 members of the AmbassaDADS recently featured in a written and spoken word piece by BBC Radio 1’s news programme Newsbeat, gaining a readership of over 600,000 people.  Over the next 12 months, the members hope to engage and involve more young dads from across the region in the AmbassaDADS project and work together to both change the narrative and challenge negative stereotypes of young fatherhood. Further, we are working with young dads in County Durham and Middlesbrough to develop geographic AmbassaDADS subgroups to contribute to Parent and Carer Panels associated with local Family Hubs. The AmbassaDADS have assembled… watch this space!