Working with Men

Celebration 2005: Fatherhood Past and Present

Celebration 2005 was an event that offered people the chance to be a part of the largest ever Celebration of Fatherhood held in the UK. It happened in the North East of England at Beamish Open Air Museum on 1st and 2nd of October 2005. The Children North East Fatherhood centre was there to interview people at the event for a short film about Fatherhood. They were looking for Dads, Mums, carers and anyone who had something they wanted to say. Some reasons why Celebration 2005 was a great success are given below:

• Celebration 2005 was a fun day out for all the family at a leading tourist attraction.
• It was a great networking opportunity for practitioners who wanted to develop their work with Fathers and their families.
• It was an opportunity to engage in family learning.
• Celebration 2005 launched the development of the new National Museum of Fatherhood.
• It was an opportunity to join 6,000 men, women and children walking to promote family health.

SRB6 Family Learning in County Durham Notes on Working With Men Meeting

Held on 8 June and 28 May at Stanley Education Centre

Present:

Steve Moore, Southmoor Greenland Community Infant School
Linda Frazer, Sure Start Stanley
Trish Noble, Sure Start Stanley
Tom Clark, Stanley Parenting Network (SPAN)
Lyn Boyd, SRB6 Durham City
Jon Niblo, Education in the Community
Sally Robinson-Lundy, SRB5 & 6 Co-ordination Team
Sharon Proud, Bishop Auckland College
Ingrid Hammond, Bishop Auckland College
Steve Thow, Bishop Auckland College
Norma Baillie, Sure Start Wear Valley
Joe Ward, Education Psychology Service
Dirk Uitterdijk, YMCA Dads and Lads
David Hughes, Lifelong Learning Co-ordinator
June Davison, SRB6 Family Learning in County Durham

Apologies:

Janet Halford, Peterlee EAZ
Judith Stirk, Peases West Primary School
Helen Jeffery, Spennymoor Learning Town

June Davison, Family Learning Co-ordinator, welcomed colleagues and gave background to this meeting. Dirk Uitterdijk from YMCA Dads and Lads joined the meeting on route to North Shields.

The SRB6 Family Learning in County Durham project has as one of its aims "To develop strategies to increase the participation of men". The Family Learning Conference held on 13th March 2002 had as its central theme "Working With Men". The seminar delivered on Thursday 28th May by Trefor Lloyd was very well received with over 40 people attending. There is clearly a great interest in increasing the participation of men in family learning as well as in other spheres.

YMCA Dads and Lads

Dirk gave an interesting presentation on the YMCA Dads and Lads project. This included a 6 minute video. The project has received Home Office funding for 3 years. A magazine has been produced and a leader’s guide. The Dads and Lads approach uses sport as a vehicle to involve men and recognises the importance of men in the family and that the male role within the home has changed.

Discussion followed which covered the role of women workers, training for working with men and the benefits of active and positive male involvement in family life. An information brochure on Dads and Lads is available. For a copy telephone 020 85205599. A training day has been arranged with the YMCA for 18th July.

Developing work with men in County Durham

Colleagues broke into groups to identify action required. Discussion group notes on implications arising from Trefor Lloyd’s seminar were used as a starting point.

Action Points

• Skills audit - identify opportunities for common purpose
• Dissemination of good practice aimed at including men
• County Durham Observatory project (SRB project) - skills audit and survey
• Value contributions from men
• Add section on working with men to Family learning Website
• Invite Consett YMCA to become involved
• Invite someone from Connexions to next meeting

The Next Steps

Colleagues agreed to the establishment of a working with men action group which will be known as Including Men. The aims of Including Men are:

• To share good practice and information
• To promote positive images of men, fathers and male role models
• To establish a baseline of activity in working with men in the County - a mapping exercise

It was agreed that a series of ½ day meetings would be arranged over the next 12 months. The meetings will double as training and development sessions with speakers invited. The 4th will be a review and forward planning meeting. June Davison volunteered the Family Learning Project to arrange and service the meetings. Information will be posted on the Family Learning Website and school’s Extranet.

Schedule of Meetings

1. Autumn - 10th October at Stanley Education Centre 9.00 - 12.00. Focus: Sharing good practice; presentations from projects in the County. Please let June Davison or Dawn Rafferty know if you require equipment eg OHP, PowerPoint projector etc. Come along prepared to share information on your organisation’s involvement in Working with Men.
2. Spring - date to be confirmed. Focus: Children North East, Fathers Plus. Speaker Roger Ollery – to be confirmed.
3. Summer - date to be confirmed.
4. Review - date to be confirmed.

Schedule - Working with Men 2002 - 2003

Date	Meeting
13.03.02	Family Learning Conference - Theme: Working with Men
23.05.02	What Works With Fathers: Seminar delivered by Trefor Lloyd from Working with Men
28.05.02	First meeting of Including Men
14.06.02	It’s a man thing - Community Education Development Centre training 9.30-4.00, Stanley Education Centre
18.07.02	Dads and Lads - YMCA training day 9.30-4.00, New College Durham
September 2002	SAFC Family Learning Through Sport courses at Sedgefield Community College and Greenlands Infant School to be evaluated by University of Durham.
10.09.02	Including Men meeting