NEYDL-Annual-Rep-2023.indd

‘Yous are amazing. I’ll forever be grateful and will support the charity forever.’ (Young Dad) ‘Yous are amazing. I’ll forever be grateful and will support the charity forever.’ (Young Dad) North East Young Lads & Dads | ANNUAL REPORT 2023 2 FOREWORD By The Right Reverend Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham 02 CHAIR’S REPORT By Professor Anna Tarrant 03 CEO’s REPORT By Kevin Stoodley 04 OUR IMPACT By Doug Laidlaw 05 MEET THE TEAM 06 SUPPORTING YOUNG DADS: A CASE STUDY 06 By Doug Laidlaw & Steven (A young Dad) TEEN DADS By Doug Laidlaw 07 EVALUATING THE TEEN DADS PROJECT 07 By Dr Michael J Richardson DIGIDAD: FROM PETERLEE TO PERU By Kevin Stoodley 08 AN EVALUATION OF DIGIDAD: A PIONEERING DIGITAL EDUCATION 09 AND SUPPORT OFFER FOR YOUNG FATHERS By Professor Anna Tarrant & Dr Izram Chaudry GAMING TOGETHER By Will Patterson, Robert Oughton & Nathan Noble 09 A STANDING OVATION : FATHER UNKNOWN By Kevin Stoodley 10 FIRST AID FATHERS By Kevin Stoodley 11 BEES ON THE BALTIC & BEES IN THE BOROUGH 11 By Tom Jamieson and Jordan Pike S TORY GATHERING AND SYSTEM BARRIERS INQUIRY 12 By Will Patterson and Dr Richard Gibbons AMBASSADADS ASSEMBLE! By Dr Linzi Ladlow & Robert Oughton 12 DAD2DAD PEER SUPPORT By Will Patterson & Andy Appleyard 13 DAD2DAD PEER SUPPORT YEAR 1 INDEPENDENT EVALUATION 14 By Dr Linzi Ladlow & Professor Anna Tarrant WHEELIE GOOD DADS By Nathan Noble 15 DAD2DAD PERINATAL HEALTH PROJECT By Jan Rigby & Robert Oughton 16 KEEP ON RUNNING By Jonah York 17 DURHAM DADS By Andy Appleyard and Nathan Noble 17 with Colin Cowings and Robert Oughton SUPPORT FOR YOUNG DADS THROUGH FAMILY HUBS 18 By Kevin Stoodley ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 19 FOREWORD By The Right Reverend Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham Children need their Dads. Dads, especially young ones, need guidance and support in knowing how best they can be a full part of caring for their partner and their baby / child. So, reading the wide range of ways in which North East Young Dads and Lads (NEYDL) offer such guidance and support is inspiring and encouraging. The value of this work is seen very clearly in the way that it has steadily grown and developed over the years since it started. The breadth of resources, always backed up by the irreplaceable need for person-to-person contact, is impressive. Quite rightly the place of peer-to-peer support is growing. There will always be an important role for the support and advice of older Dads and Grandads, but it is also key that young Dads and Lads have someone of their own age and experience to share with them. Intergenerational support will always be the strongest support. It is also extremely good to see careful and thoughtful evaluations of the work being undertaken. The insights and skills that researchers can bring not only ensure that the work is achieving what it seeks to do, but also offers insights into how further improvements and developments can be found. As the demand for the services offered grows it will be important for NEYDL to always hold on to the very best and develop fresh ways of support. It is an honour to write this Foreword. Congratulations on the work undertaken – and keep pressing forward because Children need their Dads. Dads will always need guidance and support. CONTENTS ‘I don’t think I’d be t the at the stage I am nowwithout North East Young Lads and Dads.’