John and Billy
Helping single Dads to care for their children after divorce, separation or bereavement…
‘As a divorced parent who is separated from my children, the aims of Dads House struck a chord,’ says John Horton, founder of Horton and Garton. ‘Based in Fulham, the charity supports single Dads, their children and families. I was delighted to offer my support after a fellow St Peter’s Church parishioner, barrister Simon Bruce, reached out to me.’
Dads House was founded by Billy McGranaghan in 2008 to help single fathers with the practicalities of raising their children; it runs a breakfast club, a Monday night football session and a Foodbank, offers free family law clinics (led by Simon Bruce), provides life coaching for those suffering with depression and organises a one-on-one buddy service.
Billy himself had realised that there was little back-up for single fathers, or even an understanding of their particular needs, when he was raising his own son, Sam, after Sam’s mother went abroad when the boy was one year-old. Dads House has seen a huge surge in demand during the pandemic. ‘A couple of days before the first lockdown, new families started coming forward,’ recalls Billy. ‘From typically seeing 30 to 50 families a week at our Foodbank in Lillie Road, we began seeing 100, then 200, and at peak demand, we had a staggering 670 seeking help in a single chaotic day.
‘Financially, it was horrendous. We spent our own funds sourcing food – it was just a huge task to keep going.’ So far, the Foodbank has helped 18,000 families and, since March 2020, it has supplied 240,000 meals as well as hygiene and sanitary supplies. ‘If it wasn’t for our volunteers, who form around 95% of our team, it wouldn’t have happened,’ says Billy.
There are now more than 20,000 fathers in London raising their children alone and that figure is predicted to rise this year. Dads House is currently trying to raise £40,000 to support its Foodbank. If you can help, follow the JustGiving link at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/dadshouse – it would be much appreciated.
Dads House
22 Lillie Road,
Fulham London SW6 1TS
07765 183504
info@dadshouse.org.uk
https://www.dadshouse.org.uk
https://twitter.com/dadshouseuk
https://www.facebook.com/dadshouseuk
https://www.instagram.com/dadshouseuk