Three new links - there's something for everyone here!

Details about the new Fatherhood Institute Working With Young Fathers Resource Pack can be found at:
http://www.fatherhoodinstitute.org/index.php?id=13&cID=871
The pack will be available next month and we're particularly proud that our DVD is included in it. This will explain Jackie's 2000 DVDs post last week.

The second link can be found on the Community Care website at:
http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/02/23/110756/supporting-young-fathers.html
Here you'll find that I succumbed to the urge to set down what passes for the wisdom I've accumulated during my work with young fathers-to-be.

And finally, but by no means least, JJ has asked me to put her Bebo link on the blog so that people can see it and add to it. So here it is:
http://www.bebo.com/dadsmatter2

Please take a look at whichever one takes your fancy, or all three if you have the time.

2000 DVDs

Here's the first of a new order of 2000 DVDs...

BBC News at Ten

Yesterday afternoon, in the wake of the media furore over the 13 year old father, we were asked by the BBC to put up a young dad for a News at Ten interview. The problem with going along with this sort of request is that you have no control over the story's angle. The truth is that many young parents find life difficult, and for a variety of reasons. Given the nature of some of these, News at Ten would not be the right arena to air these. Chris and I discussed what might be involved and he felt he could handle the interview.

Young Fathers Working Group

Den and Mark went to the Connexions office in Theatre Square, Swindon, yesterday to meet with Swindon's Strategic Manager for Teenage Pregnancy and one of her Children's Centre colleagues. They were there to help the Borough establish a better understanding of a young father's experience in Swindon - the best bits, what's been hard, what's helped most, what could have been more helpful. They were both very open and honest about their experiences and gave the professionals a real insight into some of the very real difficulties they face.

Teenage pregnancy and the cultural sector

This week's snow brings joy to some, sadness to others. We feel both. Yesterday Brett and April were out building a snowman with Harvey, Den and Lisa were doing the same with Max. Today Brett and Lisa should have been going down to Bridgwater with Steven and Marcus to help me run a session at a seminar jointly organised by the Government Office South West and Culture South West. Brett and Marcus had both arranged to be off from work today but instead of talking about their experiences making the film and getting their Bronze Arts Awards, they are probably building more snowmen. Art of a different kind. We had obtained 100 copies of Swindon's Artsmad magazines to distribute to seminar participants, complete with Steven's story and Lisa's photograph of Marcus at Tate Modern. So if anyone would like a copy let me know!