Lads Need Dads CIC

08/10/2026

💙 Could you be a listening ear for a mum raising her son without a consistent father figure?

Lads Need Dads is looking for Volunteer Family Support Workers to join our team from January 2027.

We know that raising boys can bring challenges, particularly when a mum is carrying much of the responsibility alone.

Sometimes having someone who listens, understands and offers encouragement can make a real difference.

We’re looking for women who can provide weekly remote support to two mums or carers while their sons take part in our programmes.

You might have experience in family support, education, psychology or child development. Or perhaps you have relevant lived experience yourself.

What matters most is who you are - someone who is caring, reliable, emotionally mature, non-judgemental and able to maintain good personal boundaries.

💙 Support two parents for 12 weeks
💙 Weekly remote contact
💙 Full training and ongoing support
💙 In-person training in Essex in December 2026
💙 Start January 2027

You must be 21+, UK-based and able to attend training in Essex. Enhanced DBS checks and safer recruitment procedures apply.

We only have a limited number of volunteer opportunities available in this first phase.

📩 Interested? Email [email protected] for the full role description and application details.

Please share — you never know who might be perfect for this role!



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Community Voluntary Services Tendring

04/10/2026

Interested in volunteering in 2027? 💙

Want to support the next generation of young men and give just a little of your time to a cause that really matters?

Look no further 👇

Lads Need Dads is RECRUITING NOW for male Reading Mentors to support boys in Primary schools in Tendring and Basildon.

📚 Just 2 hours a week for 12 weeks
👥 Be a consistent, positive male role model
💙 Help a boy build confidence and enjoy reading
📅 Starting January 2027

You don’t need to be a teacher or have mentoring experience. We provide the training and support. You just need to be reliable, encouraging and willing to give your time.

Could you be the man who makes a difference?

Get in touch to find out more or apply. Email [email protected]

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Community Voluntary Services Tendring

04/10/2026

Strike! 🎳

On Friday night we took some of our lads bowling at Colchester Tenpin with a few of our brilliant mentors. There were gutter balls, a few surprise strikes and plenty of friendly rivalry, along with a lot of laughs. A great night! A big thank you to our mentors for giving up their Friday evening, and well done to everyone who took part.


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25/09/2026

Yesterday, Lads Need Dads Founder and Managing Director Sonia Shaljean gave evidence to the Boys’ Education Commission about what is going wrong for boys in education and what we could do differently.

Following that discussion, Sonia has written a new article about an issue that has been central to our work for more than ten years: father absence.

We talk about attainment, attendance, behaviour, boys on free school meals, SEND, mental health, peer pressure and digital influences. All of those things matter. But father absence needs to be part of that conversation too.

Some boys are carrying far more into school than we can see. They may be navigating low self-esteem, friendships, fitting in, exams and worries about their future, while also carrying concerns about Mum, money, family difficulties or missing Dad.

Knowing that Dad isn’t there doesn’t tell us the whole story. We need to be willing to ask why, what that relationship or absence means to the boy, and what else may be going on around him.

Read Sonia’s latest article below entitled:

‘Can We Just Ask Why Dad Isn’t There?’
Why father absence needs to be part of the conversation about boys and education

https://soniashaljean1.substack.com/p/can-we-just-ask-why-dad-isnt-there?r=258amw&utm_medium=ios

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Why father absence needs to be part of the conversation about boys and education

21/09/2026

MEN WANTED – VOLUNTEER MENTORS FOR BECOMING

Could you help a teenage boy build confidence, understand himself and think positively about the man he wants to become?

Lads Need Dads is looking for male volunteer mentors aged 21+ to join BECOMING – our new 12-week early-intervention programme for Year 8 boys growing up without a consistent father figure.

Starting in a secondary school in Tendring in early 2027, BECOMING will help boys explore identity, confidence, emotions, relationships, choices, healthy masculinity and the transition towards adulthood.

We’re looking for men from all walks of life who can listen, encourage, be consistent and bring positive life experience to a group of boys.

This could also be a great opportunity for men studying or working in teaching, youth work, social work, psychology, criminology, coaching or related fields who would like meaningful experience supporting young people.

📍 Tendring, Essex – school location TBC
📅 12 weeks – early 2027
⏱ Approx. 2 hours per week
🎓 Training and ongoing support provided
🔍 References and Enhanced DBS required

Interested? Apply to become a BECOMING Mentor here:

👉 https://forms.gle/dxbrw9jftDG3HkRo7

Please share – the right man for this opportunity might be someone you know.



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This form is for men aged 21+ who would like to volunteer as a BECOMING Mentor, supporting Year 8 boys growing up without a consistent father figure. BECOMING is a 12-week early-intervention programme helping boys explore identity, confidence, emotional literacy, relationships and positive masculini...

18/09/2026

📚 Could you give two hours a week to make a difference to a boy in Tendring?

We’re recruiting male volunteer Reading Mentors to support Year 6 boys in primary schools at different locations across Tendring from January 2027.

You don’t need to be a teacher or have previous mentoring experience. We’re looking for dependable men who can listen, encourage and be a positive, consistent presence in a boy’s life.

Our Reading Mentors work one-to-one with boys over a 12-week programme, using reading, conversation, check-ins and simple activities to help build confidence, self-esteem and engagement with reading.

✅ Full training and ongoing support provided
✅ DBS check provided
✅ Around 2 hours a week
✅ January–April 2027
📍 Various primary schools across Tendring – locations to be confirmed

If you’ve ever thought about volunteering with Lads Need Dads, this could be your opportunity.

Find out more and apply through our Volunteer Essex advert:

https://www.volunteeressex.org/opportunities/male-volunteer-reading-mentors-various-locations-15868/

And apply via this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe90VF2IF4KSqybjhU2a75Hkg2Q6SEpeZbJsqVohRz9o54-tw/viewform

Please share, particularly with men in the Tendring area who you think could make a great mentor. 🙏

More opportunities to follow!
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18/09/2026

📣 We’re recruiting!

Lads Need Dads is looking for a part-time Programme & Volunteer Coordinator to join our growing team in Essex.

We’re looking for someone who is highly organised, compassionate and great with people, with a genuine understanding of the challenges facing boys growing up without a consistent father figure.

You’ll help coordinate our programmes, recruit and support volunteers, and work with schools and families to make sure everything runs smoothly.

If you’re organised, proactive and passionate about making a difference to boys’ lives, we’d love to hear from you.

📍 Essex / Hybrid

📩 Please share – or get in touch for the application pack.

https://uk.indeed.com/job/programme-and-volunteer-coordinator-e69b3bcf32b4fd83

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Apply for the Part-time Programme and Volunteer Coordinator job in Brightlingsea! Learn more about the job description, salary and job details to see if you qualify on Indeed today.

16/09/2026

Could you be the positive male role model a boy needs?

We’re recruiting male volunteers to join Lads Need Dads from January 2027, and there are two ways to get involved.

📚 Become a Reading Mentor
Give just a couple of hours a week to support Year 6 boys with their reading, confidence and transition towards secondary school. You don’t need to be a teacher – you need to be reliable, encouraging and willing to show up consistently.

🧭 Get involved with our new BECOMING programme
Launching in January for Year 8 boys, BECOMING explores identity, masculinity, relationships, emotional wellbeing, online influences, choices and what it means to grow into the man you want to become.

Our volunteers come from all walks of life. You don’t need to have all the answers or a particular professional background. What matters is that you can listen, encourage, be a positive example and give your time consistently.

Full training and support are provided, and all volunteers go through our safer recruitment process, including an Enhanced DBS check and references.

If you’re a man who would like to make a practical difference in the life of a boy growing up without a consistent father figure, we’d love to hear from you.

📅 Both opportunities start January 2027
📍 in Tendring and Basildon, Essex

👉 Get in touch with Lads Need Dads to find out more or register your interest.

Please share – the right man for one of these roles might be someone in your network.

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12/09/2026

🎣 What a brilliant afternoon we’ve had at Bobby George Lakes!

Today we took a group of boys from one of our LadPods schools, Harris Academy in Wickford, for an afternoon of fishing with members of the Lads Need Dads team and school staff.

The boys had a great time and caught fish of all shapes, sizes and colours! There was lots of excitement, plenty of laughs and some very proud fishermen. 🐟

One of the loveliest parts of the day was watching the boys support one another. One boy in particular really stood out. He was a very capable fisherman, but instead of focusing solely on his own fishing, he spent so some of his time helping the others. At one point he was even offering his fish to other boys to hold for their photographs, which was really lovely to see.

We finished the afternoon with our own little awards ceremony, with trophies and medals recognising the biggest catch, most fish caught, prettiest fish, patience, determination and helping others. 🏆

These aren’t boys the LND team works with directly. As pupils at one of our LadPods schools, they are supported by school staff who have been trained by us to deliver the programme and build those important relationships. So today was a great opportunity for us to spend some time with the boys ourselves and hear how they have been getting on.

It was especially good to hear stories of boys who had previously struggled, disengaged or presented challenges in school becoming much more focused, committed and engaged. And hearing that, for one boy, his relationship with his dad has improved too really was the icing on the cake.

Today wasn’t really about how many fish they caught. It was about seeing the boys enjoying themselves, helping one another, showing patience and determination, and hearing how far some of them have come.

A big thank you to Bobby George Lakes, the school staff and our LND team for making it such an enjoyable afternoon. 🎣💙


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11/09/2026

A great evening with our Ambassadors tonight! 🙌

A huge thank you to Adeep Sethi for giving up his evening to come and talk to our young men about money and financial literacy.

Saving, investing, ISAs, pensions, compound interest, inflation, financial scams and understanding risk - there was a lot to get through, but what was brilliant was just how many questions the lads asked and how much discussion it created.

These are things so many of us were never really taught growing up, yet understanding how to manage your money and the choices available to you can make such a difference as you move into adult life.

Our Ambassadors programme isn’t just about getting the lads together each month. It’s about continuing to support them as they become young adults and bringing in people who can share knowledge, skills and experience that will genuinely help them in life.

Thank you, Adeep, a really useful evening, and I think some of us adults learnt just as much as the lads! 😉

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