Dad La Soul, a network focused on raising the profile of every-day fathers and their experiences with mental health issues, was started by Dan Flanagan. Inspired by his own father’s struggles as a single parent, Flanagan sought to create a community where fathers could connect and find support. What began as an innocent playdate at a friend’s office space has turned into a movement. Today, the organization can count more than 4,000 members strong!
This year’s Dad La Soul launched with an inspiring opening of 14 fathers and their kids. They jumped into activities as diverse as beat-boxing competitions to soft play! This early success formed the foundation for Dad Gang—a national movement advocating for social connections focused on collective care, healing, and responsibility among fathers. The group has since expanded its scope and reach, emphasizing the need for fathers to cultivate friendships and support networks.
Flanagan pointed out that it’s community funding that has allowed Dad La Soul to really flourish. In just over a year they’ve successfully applied for almost 15,000 pounds in funding from the National Lottery. They have been further helped by a generous investment from Comic Relief. These financial resources provide Dad La Soul the means to galvanize incredible events and campaigns. They do this by promoting awareness of mental health in fathers and creating social networks for dads who are struggling or feel alone.
For his recent TED Talks performance, Flanagan delivered those words to a television audience of 40 million potential viewers. She emphasized the threats identified with misogynistic social media figures. He also emphasized just how corrosive these toxic forces can be to fathers and their families.
“Young men need culture and connection and they’re asking questions about who they are and where they fit into society.” – Paul Tyldesley
Flanagan was there to deliver some profound truths on what fathers are battling out there today. He went on to describe the many different experiences that can lead dads to feel isolated.
“There’s the dad who has missed another bed time story because he has to work to pay the bills and feels so guilty about it, or the dad who has spent thousands of pounds fighting an outdated court system just to see his kids,” – Dan Flanagan
He championed the challenges of diverse family structures in the fatherhood space.
“Then there’s the gay dad who has adopted kids and is constantly batting off snide comments because they don’t have a mum, or the homeless dad living in temporary accommodation who has got nowhere to take his children,” – Dan Flanagan
Flanagan talked about the fathers who have the most well-composed lives on the exterior. Their internal fights are rarely on public display.
“But above all, there are the dads who everyone thinks have got it all together, until they’re really asked and admit they don’t know how they’re going to carry on,” – Dan Flanagan
The mission of Dad La Soul is clear: to provide a safe space for fathers to express their vulnerabilities and share their experiences. Flanagan articulated this need succinctly.
“It’s hard being a bloke sometimes, so you want to know that if you put your hand up and ask for help, people are going to hear you,” – Dan Flanagan
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