Man With A Pram ready to roll with Father’s Day fundraiser

NEW dads with prams and carriers are being urged to arrive at Flying Fox Park next month on October 2 for Torquay’s own Man With A Pram fundraiser for Father’s Day this year.

Mothers and grandparents are also welcome as the organisers of the event, Dads Group, aspires to create “the village that raises a child”.

The event is a great opportunity to connect with other new dads, have a feed, spend time with your kids and inspire and highlight the importance of active fatherhood, all while supporting perinatal mental health.

Those who arrive on the day will meet at the park at 10am then walk approximately 1.6 kilometres to Elephant Run Playground.

There they will meet with the Surf Coast Shire’s Maternal Childhood Services Team and their coffee cart, which will welcome the group.

There will also be a raffle with an abundance of baby gear and other prizes on offer.

Conversations and networking between local dads and their families will then conclude the day’s event.

Head organiser of the Torquay Dads Group, Tyson Daoust, says the event creates a good opportunity to spread awareness.

The first objective of the event is to show new fathers that there are support networks in place and the second is to build connections within the community.

“One of the reasons why Dads Group exists is because mothers have plenty of support when new children arrive,” Mr Daoust said.

“Mothers groups are pretty prevalent, and they are very, very effective at helping mothers through some tough, life-changing experiences.

“Dads often don’t see these benefits and so Dads Group allows for an opportunity to be together and have a network of other fathers that they can lean on.”

Mr Daoust was one of many dads who felt quite isolated after the birth of their first child.

“For new fathers, it is a great thing to have a connection with other dads,” he said.

“When you are a dad, you are not alone, there are lots of other dads out there doing the same things that you are doing and going through.

“It’s a fantastic experience to build camaraderie and we are hoping this event will drive that message home.”

The Torquay Dads Group, which has been running since just before the pandemic began, is partnering with the Surf Coast Shire on this event.

To purchase raffle tickets head to the website at manwithapram.com.