Forest Survival Event Celebrates Dads’ Family Time
Sunderland men who have been enjoying more quality time with their children thanks to the city’s My Dad Matters programme will take their new-found skills one step further this weekend during a unique forestry-themed celebration event. The dads, who have all completed the Children North East Fathers Plus Forest Survival Programme, will join other family men from West Newcastle for the event at Gillett Woods to mark the close of this year’s forest survival programme. Throughout the celebration day, families will take part in a series of woodland challenges including map reading, a treasure hunt, a series of bush tucker trials and a forest survival quiz – designed to test the skills they have already learnt through the course. The event, organised by the leading children’s charity, will take place on Sunday 26 September 2010 from 11am to 3pm with over 100 dads attending, with their youngsters aged 13 and over from Sunderland, and aged five to 13 from West Newcastle. David Van der Velde, Service Manager at Children North East Fathers Plus, said: “The impact which the Forest Survival Programme has had on the families involved has been outstanding and we are absolutely delighted to be able to host such a special event which will bring all our family men and their children together to celebrate. “The programme’s sessions, and the celebration event, help to support dads to spend time with their families in a fun and unusual setting.” The Forest Survival Programme has seen the family men enjoy camping with their teenagers, while learning vital outdoor skills that can be easily transferred to everyday life. It works with family men and their children to help build self-esteem, communication skills and positive behaviour and discipline, while encouraging more men to become more involved with their children’s lives and education. The forest survival sessions form part of My Dad Matters which has also introduced a number of other free, new and exciting programmes – each is designed to support all family men city including fathers-to-be, dads, grandads, step-dads, uncles, male foster carers and other male carers. The My Dad Matters in Sunderland programme is being delivered in Sunderland by Children North East Fathers Plus Service in partnership with Sunderland Children’s Trust.
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