Annual Report 2024–2025 This year has been one of the most significant in the ten-year journey of Lads Need Dads CIC. As we approached our 10th anniversary, we strengthened programme delivery, deepened local impact and expanded our national and international influence. Our mission remains to equip, engage and inspire boys and young men aged 10–18 growing up without a father or positive male role model, and to raise awareness of the vital role fathers play in boys’ emotional, mental and educational development and to provide support, guidance and training to mothers and carers raising boys alone. Across this year we delivered our long-term programme pathway - Engage, Equip, Inspire, Ambassadors, Reading Mentors and family support - while developing LADPODS, our new early-intervention school-based model led by male school staff. Alongside frontline delivery, the organisation experienced significant recognition through awards, national media coverage, funding partnerships and international opportunities. Equip, Engage & Inspire Programme This year marked the final delivery cycle (for now) of our long-term Equip, Engage and Inspire programmes. For nearly a decade, these programmes have consistently strengthened boys’ emotional literacy, mental health, confidence, relationships, resilience and engagement in school. In April 2025 we intentionally paused new referrals. This strategic decision was made to create the capacity needed to develop and pilot LADPODs, enabling us to reach significantly more boys in the years ahead - a transition we describe as “pruning to grow.” LADPODS, a three-month early intervention programme, aims to ensure boys from father-absent homes are identified and supported the moment they enter secondary school. This will be piloted in 4-5 Essex Secondary Schools later in the year and into 2026. Equip, Engage and Inspire remain central to our identity. Their proven impact shaped the design of LADPODs, ensuring emotional literacy, relational consistency and positive male role models remain at the heart of a scalable early-intervention model for schools. We plan to reinstate these programmes in the future once we have secured funding to expand our staffing capacity. Programme delivery & impact Engage & Equip Across Clacton and Tendring, boys accessed weekly and fortnightly session and workshops including emotional well-being check-ins, discussions about anger, stress and conflict, teamwork and problem-solving, (and many more), outdoor activities and camping, leadership opportunities and practical activities such as woodwork, STEM and robotics, bike and car maintenance, DJ workshops, and community DIY projects. Schools reported improved concentration, engagement and behaviour. Mothers noted calmer home lives, better communication and boys who were more willing to talk about their emotions. Mentors observed increased confidence, resilience and peer support. Inspire & Ambassadors Older boys engaged in culture, challenge and leadership development, including: - sailing, cinema and wildlife experiences, - London and Brick Lane trips to art exhibitions - Mixed Martial Arts training, - financial literacy and career workshops, - podcast creation, - external visitors from industry, including British Aerospace, Film and tv directors etc. Ambassadors supported younger groups, demonstrating maturity, empathy and confidence. One Ambassador received a Jack Petchey Outstanding Achiever Award. This year also included a team-building weekend in Wales, strengthening staff and volunteer cohesion. Reading Mentor Programme The Reading Mentor Programme was delivered to Primary schools in Tendring, Colchester and Basildon. Male volunteers provided one-to-one reading and emotional support. Schools reported improvements in reading interest and ability, focus, confidence and behaviour. Parents consistently described the emotional steadiness mentors provided. One mentor, an Essex Police Sergeant, received a prestigious Essex Police Award for his volunteer work. LADPODS – Major strategic development A key milestone this year was the development and interest in LADPODS, our new school-delivered early-intervention emotional literacy and well-being programme for Year 7 boys. - We presented Absent Father Aware training to over 90 Secondary School Head Teachers in Essex and then from this, a further workshop about LADPODs to 29 Secondary school representatives. - LADPODS is designed to be delivered by a team of male school staff, making it scalable, sustainable and embedded in school culture. - The model is supported by the Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner and ASHE (Association of Secondary Headteachers in Essex). Awards, National influence & media recognition This year brought unprecedented recognition of our work: - High Sheriff Award and the Essex Youth Service Gold Award. - Director Joel Shaljean received an Outstanding Leaders Award. - A nomination for the NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Can Do Health & Care Award, highlighting the preventative mental-health value of our programmes. - Our Managing Director, Sonia Shaljean, was honoured with nominations for two major national awards – the Enterprise Vision Award and the She Inspires Award – reflecting her leadership and impact, with ceremonies taking place later in 2025. - Significant national press coverage as part of the Centre for Social Justice’s “Lost Boys: State of the Nation Report”, launched at Westminster in March, where two Ambassadors gave testimony. - BBC Online article featuring our work during the launch of the Lost Boys report. - Filming for BBC One’s The One Show, spotlighting our programme nationally. - Invitation to 10 Downing Street with the CSJ, where our work was highlighted. - Presentation to the Coalition for a White House Council for Men and Boys (USA). These moments have positioned Lads Need Dads as one of the UK’s leading voices on fatherlessness, boys’ wellbeing and early intervention. 10th Anniversary & sculpture unveiling In June 2025 we celebrated our 10-year anniversary at a major community event attended by families, mentors, trustees, funders and supporters. As part of the celebration, we unveiled a bespoke public sculpture, co-created by a local artist and our boys, symbolising growth, stability and the transformative power of positive male role models. Organisational Development & International Learning We completed the Cranfield Trust Journey to Excellence – Thrive Programme, strengthening leadership, governance and strategic planning as we enter a period of expansion. In June, Managing Director Sonia Shaljean was awarded a Churchill Fellowship, enabling international study of mentoring and early-intervention models for fatherless boys in South Africa, the USA and Australia. The findings will directly inform the development of our Blueprint and future strategy. The Blueprint – Future National Model We are developing a formal Lads Need Dads Blueprint, capturing our methodology, principles and programme structure. It will include: - Long-term relational learning from Equip, Engage, Inspire and Ambassadors - Reading Mentor Programme - LADPODS model - Recommendations for national policy and strategy for boys growing up without fathers - International learning from the Churchill Fellowship The Blueprint will guide future replication, licensing and regional partnerships. Looking Ahead – 2025–26 and beyond Our next-year priorities include: - Piloting LADPODS in 4–5 Essex Secondary schools. - Seeking investment to scale LADPODS regionally and nationally - Expanding Reading Mentors to more schools, with increased volunteer recruitment - Strengthening internal staffing, enabling our Managing Director to step back from operational delivery and focus on blueprint development, strategy, fundraising and national advocacy - Continuing to shape national recommendations for supporting fatherless boys - Using Churchill Fellowship findings to strengthen programme design and influence policy As we enter our second decade, Lads Need Dads is transitioning from a high-impact local provider to a nationally influential organisation shaping early-intervention models for fatherless boys.

Stakeholders include boys and young men, mothers and carers, volunteer mentors and Ambassadors, schools, funders, local authorities, the Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner, community partners, international partners, trustees and staff. We gather feedback through regular check-ins with boys, ongoing communication with mothers, school feedback on attendance, engagement and behaviour, mentor debriefs, and discussions with education leaders at events such as ASHE’s “Thinking Differently,” county conference. Stakeholder feedback directly shaped: - the development of LADPODS, - the expansion of Absent Father Awareness training, - additional creative and practical workshops. - increased career-focused and personal development content for Ambassadors. This ensures our programmes remain relevant, responsive and impactful.

Directors’ remuneration is detailed in the company accounts. There were no other transactions or arrangements requiring disclosure.

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration