Father sets up network after 'dad-life got lonely'

A father-of-two said he was motivated to start a new network for Peterborough dads after feeling increasingly isolated as a parent.

Callum Jarvis, 28, set up Dads After Bedtime - a social media community where fathers, stepfathers and grandfathers can arrange meet-ups and have open conversations.

Since its launch three weeks ago, the group has already grown to about 350 members, and had one of its first "play and chats" at Ferry Meadows recently.

Jarvis found that many fathers in the group felt the same as him, admitting that "dad-life" had been "getting kind of lonely".

He said many members had been looking for a similar group.

"I've got a lot of friends who don't have families, and they're still wanting to do all the things that sort of people without kids can do - and I wondered whether there were other dads who felt the same," said Jarvis.

"There are places you can go without children, but when you have kids there are more considerations, especially depending on their age."

Jarvis said interest in the network had extended beyond Peterborough, attracting members from across Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire.

Josh Maclean, 34, from Bourne, who joined after his partner recommended the group, said "it's been great so far, mostly seeing everyone getting along and making friends where we never normally would have".

Dale Thurby, 36, a father to an 11-year-old boy and stepfather to a four-year-old girl, added the network was "much needed".

Another dad in the group, Jamie Major, said becoming a father had left him feeling "disconnected" from many of his friendships.

"So many of us have shared stories about feeling isolated and having nobody to talk to," he added.

Research commissioned by charity Home-Start UK found men were as likely as women to say they rarely or never had meaningful contact with other adults outside the household, and were just as likely to say they often or always had feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Meanwhile, PANDAS Foundation said a study found about one in 10 fathers experienced perinatal mental illness.

• If you, or someone you know, have been affected by mental health issues, the organisations listed at BBC Action Line may be able to help.

Although the group was centred around fathers, Jarvis said families were welcome to become involved too.

The group was planning another meet up at a pub next month.

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