Group for dads and children celebrates first birthday

By the Rev Richard Hutchins, vicar, Catherington and ClanfieldContributor
Published 13th Feb 2024, 09:58 BST
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February is an exciting month for the ‘Who Let The Dads Out?’ group that meets at All Saints Church Hall – as we’ve just celebrated our first birthday!

In case you’ve not come across it before, ‘Who Let The Dads Out?’ is a national movement that inspires churches to support fathers, father-figures and their children. We started it here a year ago and celebrate our anniversary on February 17.

So what does this look like in Catherington? We meet once per month on the third Saturday of each month from 9am to 11am. The dads and other male carers bring along their young children – aged between zero and school year R – for time together. They play and do craft with their kids, chat with each other, and enjoy bacon rolls and coffee or tea together.

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The group is free to attend, and the refreshments and everything else is free too – we are really thankful to the Horndean Voluntary Care Group for a donation this year towards our running costs, helping to keep this free for anyone who comes.

The Rev Richard Hutchins.The Rev Richard Hutchins.
The Rev Richard Hutchins.

It is so great to see dads connecting with their young children! Sometimes they have to persevere with their little ones, but it is always worth it.

And the group gives mums a bit of a rest as well. We had one dad recently who turned up first and told us that his partner had sent him out of the door so that she could have her “me time”.

The volunteers who help out at the group are all really passionate about it – and I am hugely thankful to them all as it wouldn’t happen without their efforts.

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I am especially passionate about ‘Who Let The Dads Out?’ – actually this is the third such group that I have started in different parishes locally, and they are all still going. What a delight it has been to welcome dads from one of the other groups at Christ Church Portsdown to join us as well!

We LOVE to welcome new dads and their children – so if you know of anyone that this might help, let them know about us!

We will celebrate with a birthday cake, party hats and games on Saturday [February 17] to celebrate this fabulous milestone. We won’t do that every week, but we will always make sure we have bacon rolls!

ALL SAINTS CHURCH, Catherington Lane, Catherington, PO8 0TD