NEYDL-Annual-Rep-2023.indd

‘I know I say this every year but 2023 really has been our best year ever, reaching and supporting more young dads.’ (Kevin Stoodley) ‘Congratulations on your 6th anniversary, the traditional gift for which is iron. May you continue to have the strength of girders and the elegance of the wrought iron gates of a palace.’ (Neil Shashoua, Manager, Lloyds Bank Foundation) 4 North East Young Lads & Dads | ANNUAL REPORT 2023 CEO’s Report By Kevin Stoodley Dear Friend, A very warmwelcome to this, our sixth Annual Report, covering the charity’s endeavours and achievements over a 12-month period fromMay 2022 to April 2023. Like the best laid plans of mice and men, every year I endeavour to release a short and snappy Annual Report as soon as the charity’s year ends, only to lose myself in the wealth of rich, varied and wonderful stories, quotes and imagery shared by our incredible staff, trustees, volunteers and project partners, resulting in a burning desire to showcase this work in all its glory, even if it does mean adding yet another page or four to the final report. In the words of Roy Scheider (Chief Brody) during his first encounter with the oversized and rubberised Great White Shark in the movie Jaws, ‘you’re gonna need a bigger boat!’ Or in our case a bigger printer! I know I say this every year but 2023 really has been our best year ever, reaching and supporting more young dads, expectant fathers and non-birthing people (any young person who identifies as a father figure including kinship carers) than ever before, across a geographic area which now extends from Tyne and Wear to Tees Valley, and that’s without mentioning the tens of thousands of people who access our online films, animations, podcasts and course content made by young dads for young dads and showcased on DigiDAD. Whilst there are many things about NEYDL’s work in 2023 deserving of high praise as detailed in this wonderful report, I believe our defining achievement this year has been to support, empower and enable young dads to progress from the position of service beneficiaries into one or more of the many volunteering opportunities we offer, from peer researchers to community cycling group leaders, community beekeepers and bee-entrepreneurs to DigiDAD content co-creators and expert advisors, AmbassaDADS to trustees. For young dads Rob, Nathan, Will and Jordan, this journey has ultimately led to their employment at NEYDL, taking on new, vital, and valued roles as Peer Enablers and Cycling Group Leaders who other young dads naturally gravitate towards, trust, and look up to as positive male role models as the following feedback from 2 young dads perfectly demonstrates: ‘The service (NEYDL) and Rob himself (NEYDL staff member) have been amazing and I am so grateful for the support I have received. You have helped me adapt and become the Father I want to be.’ ‘I feel involved and more confident around people who’s in the group. I’mmuch happier and I start loving it, cause whenever Doug or Will (NEYDL staff members) say oh we’re doing a group session this date, then I get excited about it cause I always want to hang out with them. Because they’re, like, really nice people…and if I need help, they come and talk to me. If I need help on something then they just step on the pedal and then talk to us and help me, like, you know, calm the stress, or get much confidence. I really look up to Will in the group because I appreciate what he, like he helped me through since I came into the group. I feel appreciative for him.’ Rest assured, as a strength/asset-based community development service, we are fully committed to supporting ever more young dads to grow in confidence, skills, knowledge and expertise as both parents and valued members of society, and I look forward to a day not too far away when a former service beneficiary of NEYDL is sitting in my seat (and doing a far better job of it I don’t doubt). Although it’s been a good year for NEYDL, it has been incredibly challenging and desperate for many of the young families we support, who often live in the most deprived North East neighbourhoods and are thus most starkly affected by the cost-of-living crisis, poor housing, homelessness, limited job and career prospects. In addition, young men continue to report high levels of social isolation and loneliness and poor mental health (including suicidal thoughts, depression, social anxiety, loss and bereavement). We will continue to do everything within our powers and capacity to draw attention to the challenges and inequalities facing this long-neglected community whilst providing meaningful support to young dads whenever and wherever it’s needed, in close collaboration with our service partners which next year will include Sunderland, Gateshead, County Durham and Middlesbrough Family Hubs. The incredible work and achievements celebrated in this report would not have been possible without the generosity, support and encouragement shown by our amazing funders, sponsors and organisational partners, and the determination, skills and expertise shown by of our super talented current staff team - the brilliant Doug, Will, Jordan, Robert, Andy, Colin, Nathan, Tom, Amy and Nikki, our departing staff members Jonah York, Andrew Thorp and Dylan Brown, our volunteers, trustees, project consultants and of course young dads and their families. It is because of you that we look forward to another highly productive and successful seventh year supporting young dads. Before I sign off, can I please take a moment to thank our departing Chair Steven Bramwell, who recently stepped down after 6 years in office, having expertly steered the charity from its infancy as a little known and part-time Gateshead based service to the Peruvian powerhouse it has become (see article entitled DIGIDAD: From Peterlee to Peru). We couldn’t have got here without you Steven! A very warm welcome is also due to our incoming Chair Professor Anna Tarrant – we are in safe hands! I will end this Introduction with an unexpected message we recently received from the parent of a young dad supported by NEYDL which moved me deeply: ‘You have done more than you’ll ever know for my son and grandson.’ Best wishes. Kevin Stoodley (Founder and CEO)