Barnardos - Leeds
Key Facts
Location
Project Criteria
Project funding
£99,992
Funding round
Barnardo's is a national charity delivering more than 350 services throughout the UK to 140,000 children, young people and families. We focus on helping the most vulnerable children and young people transform their lives and fulfil their potential. We were established in 1899.
We are using the grant from the Parenting Fund to set up 'The Elijah project'. The project will provide a user led parenting education service to BME fathers, in a friendly, relaxed environment, which will allow fathers to openly share their experiences.
The project aims to:
- provide an accessible, responsive advice and support service to BME fathers in the Chapeltown and Harehills areas of Leeds
- increase fathers' confidence, skills and knowledge in parenting, for example in dealing with teenagers in conflicting situations
- facilitate a self help network
- build self assuredness of parents with main stream services
- be responsive to individual service needs whilst being culturally sensitive
- provide a home link service
- provide a service run at flexible hours based on the needs of fathers
- engage fathers through healthy life style initiatives, e.g. healthy meals
- re-engage fathers with their children when they are living separately from their families
- help fathers to negotiate with mothers in contact situations.
As a result of this project, parenting provision for BME fathers will be increased by:
- running more group sessions targeted at BME fathers in Chapeltown and Harehills areas of Leeds, which are currently oversubscribe
- providing one to one support to BME fathers experiencing problems with more specific issues
- running a drop in session on a weekly basis at times suitable for working parents
- supporting fathers to re-engage with the education system, both as parents and learners.
The service will be more accessible to this group, as it will be community based, providing a comfortable, relaxed environment run by local people known in the community. Beneficiaries will be identified through existing contacts with schools, local churches, youth clubs, etc. The service will also be publicised through the local community radio, local council forums, leaflets and by holding an open day to encourage fathers to step in through the doors.