Father sets up ‘Dads Doddle’ community with the aim of establishing it across the entire country

Sam Watts, who has a 15-month-old son, established the group on Facebook and it has grown to 500 members in just three weeks.

One meet up has been held so far, in which the dads bring their babies and little ones with them as they get to know the others in attendance.

The aim is to get together and aid dads in making like-minded friends. As social anxiety is rife, Sam hopes this will help men to form friendships and get things off their chests.

Sam said: “I believe us dads are sidelined and there are more mum and baby groups while they are on maternity leave.

“This helps us dads get together, go for a walk, discuss our issues and enjoy our time together while the mums have a rest.”

The first meet up was attended by 19 dads and they will now be held fortnightly on Saturdays in different locations across Northamptonshire. The hope is that this will become more frequent as it grows in popularity, and there will be options to meet up during the week down the line.

Sam’s long-term hope is that there will be a Dads Doddle group in every county across the country, to build on the growing community that has already been established.

“The first meet up went really well, a lot better than expected,” said Sam. “The dads said the group was welcoming and they didn’t feel judged. They felt they could discuss anything and no one felt left out. They think it will benefit them.”

Sam shared that he struggles to make friends and hold conversations, and he is confident that Dads Doddle will help him to overcome this and build a community of his own.

The next meet up is planned for next Saturday (July 5) at Stanwick Lakes, in which the dads will walk around the location, have a chat and let their little ones burn off some energy at the park before going their separate ways.

For more information on Dads Doddle, visit the group’s Facebook page here.