Murray Hall Community Trust
Key Facts
Location
Project Criteria
Contact
Kaljit Johal
Email
Project funding
£173,047
Funding round
Murray Hall Community Trust (MHCT) is a registered charity that aims to promote the health and wellbeing of the people of Sandwell and the surrounding areas. We have over 10 different programmes providing health, social care and community development services to local people. Work streams include children and families, elderly people, palliative care, training information and advice, community cohesion and anti-discrimination, mental health and education and learning. This is achieved with a strong focus on community and individual development and empowerment.
Daddy Long Legs (DLL) project aims to support and deliver work to fathers/male carers across the Birmingham area focusing on children under 8 years old. To help improve the emotional development and learning of the child but also the family bonding between the child and the male carer. This will be delivered through activities and sessions that will be encouraging and supporting male carers and child interaction/communication through play and other activities.
The programme will employ a team of full-time and sessional workers to deliver the activities and sessions throughout the day, evening and weekends on an outreach basis across areas of Birmingham through various venues i.e. libraries, community centres, schools, clubs etc.
The areas that the programme will focus on will be high deprivation, low education attainment, high in BME community and low income. These areas will be identified once the programme commences and needs have been assessed.
The service will target 250 fathers and male carers from a number of different backgrounds including, single dads, first time dads, granddads, asylum seekers, fathers from the BME communities, those whose first language is not English and generally all male carers.
The type of sessions that will be delivered include: - Play and Stay, Creative Play, Support groups, Story time sessions and targeted work for 5-8 years olds to recognise their potential educational, emotional, and social and development needs. The service will consult with fathers & male carers to identify innovative ways of engaging young children.
The objective of the programme is to improve parent-child relationship and the father's role within the family but also to show positive role models and support networks. It will support the fathers/male carers around positive parenting and gaining confidence in engaging with their child/ren in the home and with outside agencies.