Built for dads. Not adapted for them.

Every helpline was built for mums. Dads already know it.

Marcus rang a family helpline three weeks after separation. The advice assumed he was the secondary parent. He never called again. That is not an edge case, it is the pattern. The Fatherhood Institute confirms fathers routinely feel invisible in generic parenting programmes, and Mind UK data shows men are already three times less likely to seek mental health support than women, despite a male suicide rate three times higher. When the only options feel irrelevant, fathers stop reaching out entirely. StrongRoots is not a therapy service quietly adapted for men. It is a peer-led, practically focused space built from the ground up around how fathers actually behave when they are struggling, and what they genuinely need to keep their families together.

How StrongRoots works, step by step

1. A father arrives, or is referred in Fathers find us through Facebook groups for London dads, a referral from a Cafcass worker or early help practitioner, or a conversation at a local five-a-side league. No clinical referral form required. A WhatsApp message or a phone call is enough to get started.
2. He joins the weekly peer group Every week, up to 10 fathers meet for 90 minutes at a community venue in the borough. The founder personally facilitates every session. The format is structured but not clinical, practical not therapeutic. Fathers hear from other men navigating the same pressures and realise they are not the only one.
3. Where he needs it, he gets one-to-one support Up to six 45-minute key worker sessions, in person or by WhatsApp voice call, work through the real practical problems: housing situations, legal rights around contact, child maintenance, benefits entitlements, and referrals to mental health services when that is what is actually needed.
4. Monthly workshops build skills he can use straight away Once a month on a Saturday, a three-hour workshop focuses on a single practical theme, co-parenting communication after separation, understanding fathers' legal rights, budgeting for a split household. Every father leaves with a printed workbook. No homework, no jargon, nothing abstract.

Why StrongRoots

A peer group designed for fathers

Weekly 90-minute groups of up to 10 men, all fathers, all in the same borough. Facilitated by someone with lived experience of the UK family support system. No mixed groups where you're the odd one out. No clinical language. Just fathers working through real situations together.

A key worker who navigates the system with you

Up to six one-to-one sessions where a key worker sits with your actual situation: housing instability, unclear legal rights, child maintenance disputes, benefits you haven't claimed. Available in person or by WhatsApp voice call so you don't need to take a formal appointment to get real help.

Skills workshops on single, concrete problems

One Saturday a month, a three-hour workshop tackles one topic in full: co-parenting communication after separation, understanding your legal rights as a father, budgeting when the family income has split. Printed workbook. Max 20 fathers. Practical enough to use the same week.

Services

• One-to-One Key Worker Sessions Quoted per job 45-minute structured support session with signposting to legal, housing, and mental health services — delivered in person or by phone. Up to 6 sessions per father.
• Borough Referral Partnership Quoted per job Formal SLA with a London borough social care or early help team to receive referrals and report outcomes quarterly. Includes group access, key worker sessions, and quarterly impact report.

Who StrongRoots is built for

StrongRoots runs in London boroughs including Hackney, Lewisham, and Newham. All services are free to fathers. If any of the following fits your situation, this is for you.

• Fathers aged 25 to 50 going through separation or co-parenting conflict, First-time fathers feeling financial pressure with no space to admit it, Male kinship carers including grandfathers and uncles raising children without a dedicated support pathway
• Fathers referred by Cafcass, family court mediation, or a social worker who needs a service that will actually hold your attention
• Fathers who have tried a generic helpline and stopped calling after one attempt

What fathers leave with

• A peer group that actually gets it Weekly sessions with up to 9 other fathers in the same borough, navigating the same pressures. Not a clinical circle. A room where saying 'I'm not coping' is the most normal thing you can do.
• Real problems moved forward Up to six one-to-one sessions with a key worker who knows the housing system, the family court process, and the benefits maze. Not signposted into the void. Walked through it.
• Practical skills you can use this week Monthly Saturday workshops on single, concrete topics: co-parenting communication after separation, child maintenance explained plainly, managing anger before it costs you contact. Printed workbook included, no jargon.
• Someone in your corner when it matters Key worker sessions available by WhatsApp voice call as well as in person. For fathers who can't take a phone call at work or don't want to sit in a waiting room to ask for help.

If you work with fathers who have nowhere to go, StrongRoots is the referral destination you have been looking for.

Refer a father today

No forms. No waiting lists to join. Just a conversation about how we can help.

Frequently asked questions

Is it really free for fathers to attend?

Yes. Every service, the weekly peer group, one-to-one key worker sessions, and the monthly Saturday workshop, is free to fathers. StrongRoots is funded through charitable grants and commissioned contracts with London boroughs. No father is ever asked to pay, and there are no hidden costs or means tests.

How does a London borough or early help team commission StrongRoots?

The simplest starting point is a conversation with the founder. StrongRoots offers a formal service level agreement under which your early help or social care team can refer fathers directly, with a named contact for practitioners, an agreed referral pathway, and a quarterly outcomes report for your records. To discuss a borough partnership or a smaller pilot, use the contact form on this page and someone will respond within two working days.

What actually happens in a one-to-one key worker session?

A 45-minute session, in person or by WhatsApp voice call, where the key worker works through your specific situation with you. That might mean identifying which housing support you are entitled to, explaining what your legal rights are as a father under current family law, or working out which benefits apply to your circumstances. The key worker does not just hand you a leaflet. They help you understand what to do next and, where possible, who to contact. You can have up to six sessions.

Who runs the groups and what is their background?

At launch, the founder personally facilitates every weekly peer support group and conducts all key worker sessions. The founder's background includes direct experience of the gaps in the UK family support system for fathers, which is the basis on which StrongRoots was built. That lived experience is what earns trust in the room faster than any professional qualification can. Full details of the founder's background are available on request for organisations considering a referral partnership.

How do I refer a father I am working with?

If you are a social worker, Cafcass officer, family court practitioner, or early help worker, you can make a warm referral by contacting StrongRoots directly. The father's consent is required before any referral is made. Once a referral comes in, the founder will make contact within two working days to arrange an initial conversation with the father, either in person at the community centre venue or by phone. No lengthy referral form. No waiting list at launch.

Get in touch

Whether you are a father looking for support or a practitioner who needs somewhere to refer, tell us a little about your situation and we will come back to you within one working day.

Send an enquiry

No forms. No waiting lists to join. Just a conversation about how we can help.