DadSpace Wellbeing Hub

Dad2Dad Wellbeing Hubs – Southwark

The Dad2Dad Wellbeing Hubs programme seeks £50,000 to deliver a 12-month health and wellbeing initiative supporting fathers and male carers of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), particularly within migrant and low-income families in the Peckham area. Operating from our base at Peckham Arches, a vibrant and accessible community hub at the heart of Southwark, the location provides an ideal setting for this project, welcoming, inclusive, and well-connected to local networks and families.

The programme will create safe spaces where fathers can connect, learn, and thrive. Weekly peer-to-peer sessions will offer dads the opportunity to share experiences, build friendships, and attend workshops led by professionals on mental health, resilience, and family wellbeing. Practical life skills will be developed through cooking and nutrition sessions focused on affordable, culturally diverse, SEND-friendly meals using local produce from Southwark markets. These sessions will also include advice on housing, employment rights, and access to local services, linking everyday wellbeing to empowerment and stability.

To promote physical health and community engagement, the project will include inclusive sporting activities such as football, table tennis, and group walks in collaboration with partners like Burgess Sports and Southwark Table Tennis Club. Fathers will also participate in quarterly mindfulness retreats in green spaces such as Burgess and Dulwich Parks, learning techniques for relaxation and stress management to sustain their caring roles.

The programme primarily supports fathers and carers of SEND children in Southwark, especially those from African, Caribbean, Latin American, and Eastern European backgrounds who face cultural or language barriers that limit access to mainstream support. By offering a culturally sensitive and accessible environment, Dad2Dad Wellbeing Hubs will strengthen family relationships, reduce isolation, and contribute to a more resilient Peckham community.

The project will improve mental health by reducing stress and loneliness, enhance physical wellbeing through active living and better nutrition, build peer networks for ongoing support, and empower fathers to advocate for their children confidently. Southwark records more than 5,000 residents providing over 50 hours of unpaid care each week—many are fathers of SEND children whose needs are often invisible in service design. This initiative directly responds to that gap.

Funding will enable us to hire skilled facilitators with lived experience of SEND and migration, secure community venues across Peckham and Camberwell, provide sports and cooking equipment, deliver wellbeing activities and retreats, and monitor outcomes through surveys and case studies.

The project builds on the success of our first Dad2Dad event, which attracted over 60 local fathers. Co-designed with Southwark dads, it is supported by strong partnerships with Burgess Sports, South London SEND Network, and local faith groups. Led by lived-experience mentors and wellbeing coaches, the project is rooted in community ownership and trust.

Joshy Boy Legacy CIC, based at Peckham Arches, is a Southwark-focused organisation dedicated to improving wellbeing, housing, and inclusion for SEND and migrant families. This project complements our Parent Mentorship Programme funded by the National Lottery, ensuring sustainability and lasting impact.

By improving wellbeing, fostering inclusion, and strengthening family resilience, Dad2Dad Wellbeing Hubs will leave a lasting legacy for fathers, carers, and children across Southwark.