Zephyr’s: Support for dads

The rate of late miscarriage, stillbirths and infant mortality is sadly ~50% higher in Nottingham City when compared with the national average in England. (Source: ONS)

Men are significantly less likely to engage with bereavement support than women.

The current bereavement support offer in Nottingham City is robust. However, the method of support is mostly centred around traditional verbal counselling.

Research shows that men often favour activity-based therapies which shift the core focus to a collective task. This allows communication to be incidental and natural. It also reduces a perceived pressure to communicate. As a result, men are more likely to attend, particpate and engage with the sessions. (Source: BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth)

SSBC is funding a 6-month pilot of woodworking sessions for bereaved fathers in Nottingham City. The sessions will be run by Zephyr's.

The woodworking sessions are:

• Run monthly in the evenings.
• Hosted in a local woodworking workshop.
• Facilitated by a local woodworker, who is a bereaved father.
• Free, with no cost to fathers who attend.

The sessions will begin in May 2022.