Listening to Fathers: What Two Years of Funding Have Taught Us
Through our A Better Childhood mission, we’ve spent the past two years learning from local charities working with fathers, and investing in community-led support through the Wellbeing Support for New Fathers and Fathers-to-Be Fund.
Many fathers say they feel unprepared or overlooked in traditional antenatal settings, and are unsure where to find support that speaks directly to their role as dads. Becoming a father can bring significant challenges, and research suggests that one in ten experience mental health difficulties during the perinatal period. Many also report feeling excluded from services designed to support new parents, which can often cater to mothers.
Today, we are showcasing what we’ve learned from this innovative programme, made possible by Norfolk County Council with HM Government funding through the Start for Life and Family Hubs programme.
What communities are telling us
Across Norfolk, charities hear similar messages from fathers. Many want practical advice, opportunities to connect with other dads, and spaces where they can talk openly about the challenges of parenthood.
They also tell us that traditional support doesn’t always reach them. We found that the most successful projects were those that met fathers ‘where they are’, whether that’s through football, music, outdoor activities, food, or social clubs.
Over two years, the programme has funded a wide range of charities to test different approaches and learn what works. This longer-term funding helped them to build trust, adapt their services, and respond to what fathers tell them they need.
We found that support works best when fathers help shape it themselves, when activities are flexible, and when organisations work together to connect fathers with wider support.
Stories from Norfolk
At Magic Acorns in Great Yarmouth, funding supported stay-and-play sessions, creating a relaxed space where fathers could spend quality time with their children while connecting with other dads.
By offering sessions every week and allowing fathers to drop in when it suited their family life, Magic Acorns created a welcoming and accessible space that fathers could engage with in a way that worked for them. This flexible approach helped build trust, encouraged repeat visits, and made it easier for dads to become part of the group. Magic Acorns reflected:
“We have found that being available regularly, week-to-week is what has built trust, as so many other services are cut or are short term.”
Fathers reported feeling more confident and engaged in their children’s lives, while children developed stronger bonds with their dads. One father said:
“I have become more interactive with my daughter. We play and move about together, and we’re often banging things like drums.”
What we’ve learned
Two years of funding have given us valuable insight into what fathers need:
- Creating spaces for dads to connect makes a big difference to their wellbeing: Many fathers said they felt isolated before joining activities, but simply meeting other dads and sharing experiences helped them feel less alone, more confident, and more involved in family life.
- Flexible, practical support helps more fathers engage: Projects worked best when they were easy to access and fitted around the realities of new parenthood. Informal, drop-in sessions allowed fathers to take part even if they couldn’t attend regularly, a low-pressure approach that made joining back in less awkward.
- Small, community‑based interventions can have a lasting impact: Simple activities, like group sessions, play, or guided conversations, helped build confidence, improve mental wellbeing, and strengthen bonds between fathers and their children.
These lessons will help inform how we support children and families in the future.
Take action to improve childhoods
We are currently working on a report which offers a detailed look at the impact of the programme and the learning emerging from communities across Norfolk for release later this year.
By listening to fathers and the organisations that support them, we can continue investing in approaches that strengthen families and help give every child the best possible start in life.