How was your summer? I hope you had a chance to relax, get away on holiday, maybe swim in the sea and, above all, make special memories with friends and family.

The Who Let The Dads Out? team have also managed some refreshing downtime, but we've also been busy undertaking an audit of all the Who Let The Dads Out? groups registered with us. This has been a valuable exercise as it's important that we understand, as best we can, the current status of the many groups spread across the UK and beyond. A special thank you to all the group leaders and church secretaries who have responded to calls and emails. Unsurprisingly, this audit has shown that a number of groups have ceased to run, in many cases as a direct result of the pandemic. If this is you, our message is one of gratitude and encouragement for the family lives that you will have touched and the often invisible legacy that your group will have left. Nothing is wasted.

One dad who has been impacted by Who Let The Dads Out? is the comedian and writer Paul Kerensa. He attended a group at St. Andrew's Church in Woking and this is what he had to say about the experience:

We loved Who Let The Dads Out? – my daughter loved the activities, my son loved the bacon rolls, I loved wrestling the bacon rolls off my son, and the chat with other dads … and I know for a fact my wife loved the time at home in peace! It’s a great initiative, and I can’t think of a finer use for a church building on a Saturday morning. I want to thank the people who ran the group locally and those who came up with the idea. It’s a blessed and marvellous morning out!

Also be encouraged that new groups continue to establish themselves as we bounce back. If I've learnt one thing through my years of involvement with this project, it is the value of persistence. Calvin Coolidge, 30th president of the USA, said that:

Nothing in the world will take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent.

No doubt Paul Kerensa would testify that persistence is helpful when you're doing stand-up comedy. It's also a great attribute to have as a parent and Who Let The Dads Out? leader, but sometimes we all need a little encouragement. Despite the setbacks of these last couple of years we remain determined to support you, so please do read on for some of the ways we can help.

Tony
Who Let The Dads Out? team

For our 'Ramble' this month Stephen Hayes caught up with Paul Kerensa at Newport market. Maybe more a 'rambling stream of consciousness' from our two stars, but we thought you'd enjoy this.

Can't get enough of Paul and Stephen in conversation? In this Dad Cave episode Stephen goes in search of nuggets of wisdom from Paul's writing for Not Going Out and Miranda.

Saturday 24 September

Join us in Cardiff for the Playtime Conference. Playtime provides a unique opportunity to network with toddler groups from across the UK, to be reminded of the value of working with families and to be inspired for the future. When we actively stop to embrace each moment we share with families, we can grasp the significance of the impact we’re having. So Playtime is definitely for Who Let The Dads Out? leaders and volunteers. 

Tuesday 1 November
7.30 pm–8.30 pm
Theme: Count them – exploring groups experiences of numbers of families attending

Zoom details:
Link: https://careforthefamily.zoom.us/j/85125459451?pwd=NE52OFMrVHdzV2dTRmNteXVWbFBKZz09 
Meeting ID: 851 2545 9451
Passcode: dadcafe2

Want to know more details or got a topic you'd like us to explore? Email Tony Sharp.

Zoom Café details will also be listed on our Facebook and Twitter feeds.

The brilliant A Mind of Their Own is on tour again this autumn with dates in Southend-on-Sea, Milton Keynes, Kettering, Oxford, Bristol, Taunton and Lurgen.

Based on her book, Katharine Hill explores how we can build our children's emotional wellbeing with input from Dr Rob Waller, Dr Kate Middleton and Mark Chester.

Rob Parsons brings The Heart of Communication to Cambridge, Ipswich, St Albans, Nottingham, Birmingham, Preston and Manchester.

This event is for anyone who speaks in front of an audience, whether that is to a sold-out crowd at the Royal Albert Hall, in a business setting, to a small Sunday school class or to online viewers.

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