Lads Need Dads Mission is:

“ To equip, engage and inspire boys and young men aged 10-18 with absent fathers or limited access to a positive male role model, to enable them to reach their full potential.”

“To provide support, guidance and training to mothers and carers raising boys alone.”

“To raise awareness and understanding of the important role fathers play in the emotional, mental and educational development and well-being of boys.”

Our impact:

The impact that Lads Need Dads has on boys and young men is transformative and long-lasting. Many of the boys who join our programmes are struggling with low confidence and motivation, mental health issues or a deep sense of loss due to the absence of a father figure. Through consistent mentoring, life-skill development, outdoor activities and community volunteering alongside positive male role models, boys begin to rebuild trust, self-belief, and purpose.

Over time, we see remarkable improvements in emotional regulation, social behaviour, school engagement, alongside reductions in exclusions and offending risk. Boys who once felt disconnected and overlooked start to thrive - developing resilience, empathy, and leadership qualities that ripple outward into their families, schools, and communities.

Lads Need Dads is led by a team of highly experienced Directors with backgrounds in Education, Criminal Justice, and Health and Social Care, and is supported by a dedicated team of male volunteer mentors - men from all walks of life, aged between 20 and 75 - who give their time, skills, and experience to guide and inspire the boys we support.

Lads Need Dads is a Not-For-Profit Community Interest Company based Essex, delivering across North East and South Essex but with a national and international reach.