First #DadStock event announced for dads and male carers of young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities. – Northants Life | News | Events | Advertise

A Northamptonshire support group, SENDS 4 Dad, is hosting its first #DadStock gig on 15th July 2023 at the Charles Bradlaugh in Northampton as part of a campaign to reach more dads who might need their support.

Four local bands are playing #DadStock, opening with Northampton indie favourites, The Barratts, playing a rare acoustic set, followed by original indie music from The Good Fridays and two rock covers bands, The Helix and The Daze. The event is free and open to anyone, and young people with SENDS are welcome to come along.

The aims of the campaign and #DadStock are:

1. To increase the visibility of dads and male carers of children with SENDS as they are often forgotten.

2. To reduce the stigma of asking for help and increase awareness of the SENDS 4 Dad support group and how it can help.

3. To highlight the current mental health crisis within this group of dads and to appeal for more mental health support and funding.

SENDS 4 Dad is a support group for father’s and carers of young people with SENDS of any age, with or without a formal diagnosis. The group was founded by Paul Meadows in 2015 after he found a severe lack of support for fathers of children with SENDS as his son, Connor, has autism.

There are currently over 4000 young people in Northamptonshire with an Education Health Care Plan (EHC plan) – a more formal diagnosis of special educational needs (SEN) but there are thousands more across the County that receive some sort of SEN support according to The Department for Education. New figures released in June 2023 show a 9% increase nationally in the number of young people with EHC plans which has increased year-on-year since 2010.

SENDS 4 Dad founder and lead singer of The Daze Band, Paul Meadows, said:

“As we approach Father’s Day, this is a great time to highlight the real difficulties dads and male carers face when their child has SENDS even before an official diagnosis. We want to use this campaign and the #DadStock event to encourage dads in a similar situation to reach out for help, come along, and speak to other dads. Don’t suffer in silence.”

Paul continued:

“With thousands of young people across Northamptonshire receiving SEN support of some kind, there must be hundreds of Dads out there potentially needing our help. We know we are currently only helping the tip of the iceberg, but the personal experiences of the dads in the support group can help support others.”

James Faulkner, lead singer of The Barratts, said:

“We’re really excited to support this amazing cause – music brings people together like nothing else. So, get your dad dancing shoes on and give your support to this wonderful local night!

Lead singer, songwriter, and local teacher from The Good Fridays, James Carroll, said:

“As a teacher and a dad, I can really appreciate how it feels when dads need extra support coping with the challenges of having a child with additional needs. We hope lots of people will come along and enjoy some great music in a friendly atmosphere and connect with other dads in a similar situation.”