Fathers in Little Hulton, Winton and Langley have been featured on The One Show on BBC1, promoting ways to improve their children’s well-being.

The Dadly Does It project is about dads finding ways to solve their own problems and making their children’s lives better. They then spread their learning by working shoulder to shoulder.

It started in Little Hulton, where there is now an independent group called Salford Dadz – Little Hulton. They run a Saturday dads and kids club doing fun things with their children while supporting each other. As the first area, it acts as a ‘living university’ that other communities can tap into.

Run by social enterprise Unlimited Potential, Dadly Does It spread in 2016 to Winton, near Eccles, and then Langley in Middleton in 2017.

In Winton, cycling has sparked interest. Local fathers have set up dad-led bike rides alongside free bike maintenance for local families.

Work has recently started in Langley, supported by a Men Behaving Dadly competition for local children to say why their father is the best in town. The project launch will feature the best entries received.

Little Hulton father of three, Alex McCraw, said “At the start, I struggled to socialise just taking my kids to the park. But just talking to somebody who has been there, got the t-shirt and can relate to how you feel makes a massive difference. I’ve gone from being in the house to my son saying he wants to be like me. There is no greater feeling.”

In Langley, BBC presenter Kevin Duala heard from local father Ronnie Lowe, who was keen to discover more about Dadly Does It. Ronnie later came on one of the Winton cycle rides and was impressed with what he saw. “You can’t go wrong with it”, said Ronnie.

“This is great recognition of everything that the fathers are achieving”, said Chris Dabbs, Chief Executive of Unlimited Potential. “As Ray Winstone said on the programme, ‘You’ve got to have a reason to get up in the morning.’ That is what the fathers are giving themselves.”

Dadly Does It welcomes any man in a father role in Little Hulton, Winton or Langley to get in touch, either to offer help or to get support. Contact John Horrocks on 07795 284146 or email john.horrocks@unlimitedpotential.org.uk to get connected.