A ‘COMPASSIONATE’ volunteering trio from Rugby have received a prestigious award recognising the hard work they do supporting male carers.
Gavin Lewis, Andy Iamone and Dylan Watt have been presented with a WCAVA (Warwickshire Community & Voluntary Action) Community Impact Award.
The trio, who volunteer for children’s charity Barnardo’s, set up and run the ‘SaturDads’ group – a monthly ‘stay and play’ session just for dads and male carers and their children.
The group offers activities including messy play, craft activities, a digger and construction area, and soft play – and it has steadily grown in popularity since it began five years ago.
Gavin said: “When I moved to Rugby I would attend stay-and-play groups with my son, and I was often the only dad there.
“Although the mums were very friendly, I did sometimes feel a bit of a ‘sore thumb’ and so I discussed the idea of setting up a group for dads with Barnardo’s.
“I was put in touch with Dylan and with Barnardo’s support, SaturDads was created. When the group started we didn’t know if anybody would come along, but we had a very good turnout, and it’s been great to see the group growing since then.
“SaturDads isn’t just a place where dads can spend time with their children and chat to other dads, but it also normalises the idea that dads can get more involved in parenting.”
Amie Watt, who nominated the volunteers for the award, said: “The SaturDads team provide a safe place for male parents and carers to play and interact with their young children. They also provide emotional support and encouragement to help dads develop their parenting skills and connect with their children.
“Dylan, Gavin and Andy are dedicated to providing this service for local dads, grandads and male carers and together they have supported each other and local families which they do with compassion, energy and a smile.
“It has been through their drive and commitment that the group has developed as it has. During lockdowns the trio even facilitated online sessions and continued to reach out and support each other and the local community. This award is thoroughly well deserved.”
Barnardo’s Volunteering Manager Nicola Sharpe said: “We are so pleased for Gavin, Andy and Dylan and the award shows how highly their work is valued in the community.
“The group has grown from humble beginnings to now having more than 25 families regularly attending. Gavin and Dylan are also Parent Champion volunteers which means they can signpost families to services they might need.
“Due to the enormous success of this group, we are now looking for more volunteers to join the team and support once a month with setting up and running the group. Full training, induction and on-going support is given.”
SaturDads runs on the second Saturday of each month. Visit https://tinyurl.com/38zxyxxh or email Nicola at [email protected] for more information about SaturDads and becoming a volunteer.
