Contacts and local reps

Darren Arnold

Having previously set up and run two Who Let The Dads Out? groups in West Sussex (at St Andrews Methodist Church and at Southwater Community Methodist Church), I now work as the Children’s & Family Worker at Fulwood Methodist Church where we run a group. I am married to Cheryl and we have three children. My other interests are cooking, photography and supporting Nottingham Forest FC.

Tony Sharp

I help lead the WLTDO? Group at Hoole Baptist Church in Chester. Before retiring I was the WLTDO? Project manager at Care for the Family and have been involved in this amazing project since 2005.

Vicky Reedy

I’ve been running Just4Dads St Chads for 6 years, we run a midweek and Saturday group weekly. I love connecting and supporting families at the groups I run at St Chads in Romiley, so if you are interested in setting up a new group in, or close to, Stockport please get in touch. I’d love to support you.

Andy Lancey

I started a Who let the Dads Out? group at my church in Partington, Manchester in 2014 and it’s still going strong! My wife and I run a playcentre, café and community hub called The Hideaway – providing support for families and local community. As well as managing staff, I mentor dads and run courses and social events for local dads. I am a dad and have two children aged 9 and 12. I enjoy music – playing piano and trumpet; sports – including badminton and table-tennis, plus watching football (supporting Portsmouth) and American football; Lego and travelling.

Mark Hackney

I am married to Lizzie. In 2017 I refound my passion for table tennis and now play in the Shrewsbury league after a 35 year gap. I am passionate about engaging with families in an intergenerational way. We have run a Who Let The Dads Out? group since 2017 and want to engage with the local dads and their families.

Simon Brown

I am married to Tomi and I have two children, Anna and Jeremy at university, so we are now empty nesters. I live in Newport in Gwent and have run a Who Let The Dads Out? group at Faith Church. I also have a passion for photography, travel and rugby, having grown up in New Zealand.

Andy Butt

I am a founder of Dambusters, the Who Let The Dads Out? group based at Christ Church Billericay, Essex. I am passionate about sharing the gospel with those the church doesn’t normally reach, especially families, children and young people, through action rather than just words.

Rich Keeble

I run a Fathers and Families Project called EPIC Dad (Encourager – Provider – Instructor – Carer), four key roles we want to celebrate and encourage. We offer wellbeing, parenting, and family support to dads and male carers across West Suffolk and beyond. Some of our activities include dads and children’s fun clubs, parenting courses, new and expectant fathers’ groups, wellbeing walks for dads, delivery of baby supplies to local families, and lots more! I love being involved in dads work as the better support we can give to dads, the better support they can be to their families.

Mike Wilkinson

I am the Representatives Coordinator for Who Let The Dads Out? and have co-led the Who Let the Dads Out? group at my church, Teddington Baptist, since 2012. We are keen to help fathers learn more about their role and so we run a fathering course every year (we have used Daddy Cool! and Care for the Family’s Parentalk materials) and I would be delighted to help other groups start their own courses.

Rob Santer

I am a big fan of Who Let The Dads Out? and run an active group at All Saints Church in Woodford Wells. I serve as London Regional Coordinator for Christian Vision for Men where we are passionate about winning men and the family to Christ. We have witnessed Who Let The Dads Out? to be a formidable community activity that creates the environment for dads to meet and forge strong friendships, leading to other opportunities. I welcome sharing our Who Let the Dads Out? experiences whilst helping and encouraging others in setting up and growing their own group.

Geoff Court

I am a Pioneer Minister in Whitstable, Kent. I am passionate about working with children and their families, and helping to encourage and nurture positive relationships between children and their parents. Previously I was the Children and Families Minister at St John’s Methodist Church in Whitstable where, in 2013, I helped establish the Whitstable Who Let The Dad’s Out? group. As a man working in an early year’s context, in which most of the adults that I meet are female, I feel that it is particularly important to engage with and encourage fathers and provide them with the opportunity to meet with other dads and their children.

Mark Wright

I am in a leadership role as part of our outreach & evangelism team at St James’ Church in Royal Tonbridge Wells, and have also enjoyed leading and serving with our Who Let The Dads Out? team since starting our group in 2015. I enjoy being involved in supporting families and helping dads and children to spend invaluable time and make memories together. We previously took our group on a brilliant summer camping weekend plus recently ran the Daddy Cool Course via Zoom.

Andy Bacon

I first got involved with Who Let The Dads Out? in 2004 and worked in the kitchen serving bacon and egg rolls. We had a small team of six and regularly had ten – fifteen dads a month. It wasn’t until I moved to Equippers Church that I had the opportunity to start my own group which we opened in 2010 at the Chertsey Hub, where we regularly attracted over 100 adults and children each month.

Michelle Farrelly

I live in Devon and have run a Who Let The Dads Out? group at our church All Saints Okehampton since 2019. My passion is for Who Let The Dads Out? to be an intergenerational community that supports dad, grandads and male careers through the parenting journey. I would be delighted to help and support churches in the southwest who want to start a group or who are already running. So please do get in touch and say hello.

Care for the Family’s Northern Ireland representative can help you explore Who Let The Dads Out? in Northern Ireland.