North East Young Dads & Lads

24/08/2026

We need your help!

How father-inclusive are UK services that come into contact with young dads?

We’re inviting professionals working across health, social care, education, housing, justice, and voluntary services to share their experiences.

As the UK’s only charity dedicated exclusively to supporting young fathers, NEYDL is seeking to build a clearer picture of father-inclusive practice nationally, identifying what’s working well, where barriers remain, and what support professionals need.

The survey takes 8-10minutes and all responses are anonymous.

Please take part and help shape future practice for young fathers and the professionals who support them.

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=yvR0_DWlZ0WQMMU_hqrC89wYNBb1muJOjZQRybCcXuJUMDM1STcyMzJSTUQ0RjVCQ1RBTEhDV1ZCWi4u&route=shorturl

11/08/2026

☀️ Summer at NEYDL looks a little something like this…

Getting outdoors. Pizza and BBQs. Football, pool and fishing. Bike rides and beekeeping. Meeting a few owl pals along the way. 🦉🐝⚽️🎣

It’s looked like our young dads standing up and sharing their experiences at events - and us being incredibly proud to stand alongside them.

It’s looked like big conversations about exciting things to come, trying new things, soaking up the sunshine and, most importantly, having each other’s backs through all of it. 💛

Because sometimes support looks like sitting down for a proper conversation. And sometimes it looks like kicking a ball about, going fishing, eating pizza or just spending a sunny afternoon with people who get it.

A little look back at summer so far with the NEYDL lads. ☀️

And we’re nowhere near done yet… 👀

29/07/2026

Being a new dad can feel incredible… and overwhelming.

When your world changes overnight, it helps to know you’re not figuring it all out on your own.

David joined us at DigiDAD Fest and his message couldn’t be more important: Meet other dads. Find your people.

Whether you’re expecting your first baby, navigating the newborn days, or somewhere in the middle of fatherhood, there’s a place for you here. No pressure. No judgement. Just a community of dads who get it.

Fatherhood was never meant to be done alone. 💙

👇 Want support in your pocket?

Sign up to DigiDAD today for free, on-demand support, practical advice, events, resources, and a community of dads who are with you every step of the way.

Www.digidad.uk

21/06/2026

Fatherhood isn’t just about being a dad.

It’s about showing up when things are hard.
Learning as you go.
Choosing love, patience and growth, even on the days you get it wrong.

We’ve watched young dads across our community do exactly that.

We’ve seen dads make memories with their children, support one another, try new things, build confidence, overcome challenges and create brighter futures for themselves and their families.

In this video, you’ll hear reflections from our CEO & founder Kev and Regional Programmes Manager Doug on what being a dad means to them. Behind their words are some of the hundreds of moments we’ve been lucky enough to witness.

Today, we’re celebrating every dad in our community.

Not just for being fathers, but for being role models, friends, supporters, learners, leaders and incredible people.

We’re proud of you.

The world doesn’t always tell young dads how important they are. We hope today reminds them.

Happy Father’s Day from all of us at NEYDL & DigiDAD ❤️

18/06/2026

NEYDL & DigiDAD AGM

On 7th July, we’ll be holding our Annual General Meeting, taking a look back at the past year and reflecting on the impact, challenges and achievements across NEYDL and DigiDAD.

From supporting young dads and families, to expanding our reach, developing new projects and creating opportunities for connection and growth, it’s been another busy year with plenty to celebrate.

If you’d like to learn more about the work we’ve been doing, we encourage you to take a look at our latest Annual Report

https://www.neydl.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/NEYDL-Annual-Report-2025_Final.pdf

and our 2025 Highlight Film

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx1484wSGEA

If you have an interest in attending, please contact [email protected] for further information.

14/05/2026

On 17th May, Adam will be running the Sunderland 3K to raise money for NEYDL ❤️

Adam is an ex-service beneficiary who first joined the project as a university student training to become a youth worker. He later worked with NEYDL part-time and then full-time, before moving into employment support during COVID. Over the years, he’s always stayed connected to the young lads and dads involved in the project.

Now a dad himself, Adam wanted to take on this challenge for both himself and other young dads in our community.

Here are some words from Adam about why he’s doing this:

“Since becoming a young dad myself at 23, life has been a rollercoaster of health and mental health. After changing industry, becoming a bus driver, hitting the gym and reconnecting with old friends, I’ve bounced back and I’m now focusing on making the most of being a dad to my young children.

Especially making sure I can keep up with them, as they are both outdoorsy and I wouldn’t want to disappoint them because of my health.

The 3K run is both a reminder to myself that I’m still able to start new things, try them and achieve something I never thought I could.

By raising money for the project, I also hope to help other young lads and dads become the best version of themselves for both themselves and others.”

We’re so proud of you Adam ❤️

If you’d like to support Adam and donate to NEYDL, you can do so via this link…

https://shorturl.at/DvSYm

16/04/2026

Hear from our Founder Kev about NEYDL & DigiDAD and why coming together as community is one of the most powerful things we can do to support young dads and families. 🙌🏼

Looking forward to our DigiDAD gaming event tonight!

We’d love to know how NEYDL & DigiDAD have had an impact on your life! 💚

07/04/2026

We’re absolutely delighted to share that NEYDL has been selected as one of the 10 recipients of the Top 40 Community Voices radio advertising campaign 🎙️

A massive thank you to and for choosing to spotlight the work we do with young dads across the North East 💛

This 12-week campaign is an incredible opportunity to amplify the voices, stories and experiences of the young fathers we support every day - voices that deserve to be heard, valued and celebrated.

Everything we do is rooted in community, and it means the world to have that recognised in this way.
We’re so excited for what’s to come… keep your ears open 👀🎧

07/04/2026

We are officially one of the recipients for the Top 40 Community Voices radio campaign!

We’re over the moon about this. Thanks so much to OUT North East, Pride Radio North East, Metrocentre 🙌🏼

We are delighted to announce the first ten recipients of the Top 40 Community Voices campaign with Metrocentre and Pride Radio:

Drum roll....

Pride Action North
North East Young Dads & Lads
Darkus
PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Su***de
Cobalt Studios CIC
Bensham Grove Community Centre
The Drop In
Northumberland and Newcastle Society
Big Gay Fund
Geordie Grand Slammers

Each group receives £2500 of free airtime on Pride Radio.

If you applied, don't worry, we still have a further three rounds to announce over the coming months.

And if you'd like to find out more or apply, check out: https://prideradio.co.uk/news-and-competitions/metrocentre-turns-40-and-were-celebrating-you/