FEATURE - Fathers for Change

A new dad has an opportunity to connect with a wider community, learn the

ropes, and share ideas at this significant and transformative time. This is

precisely what Patrick sought when he became a dad, and now he provides the

same support to others entering this new phase of life.

by Angela Reedman-Polinksi

Patrick Nugent is a proud Sunny Coast father of three boys who is keenly focused on

creating opportunities for dads to connect, receive support, and build mateship.

“Becoming a dad took me on a journey of a deeper level of enquiry. I began asking

myself what I wanted and who I wanted to be. I had a new purpose in life, and this

started my search for a fathers’ group or men's group where I could develop a sense

of community.

“My partner (now wife) and I lived in China from 2014 to 2017, when we had our first

child and I became a dad. It was a beautiful time growing as a family and bonding

together. We experienced all of the twists and turns of being parents for the first

time.”

Patrick admitted he was finding it difficult as a new dad living in another country,

where he didn’t know the language and felt quite isolated from his regular

community.

“When I returned to Queensland, I joined the Conscious Men’s Brotherhood group of

the Sunshine Coast to meet fellow dads and be part of something bigger.

“It’s more difficult to make friendships as an adult, and it’s even trickier as a new dad

as we need to be there for our partner and baby, and we’re already committed to

jobs and responsibilities.

“I wanted to learn how to hold space for myself as a dad and for other dads while

maintaining our family balance.”

Patrick began by creating a group online and sharing details in Facebook community

groups around the Sunshine Coast and Hinterland to invite fathers to join him.

“The group is a space created for all the fathers in this community and across the

coast to connect, create mateship, have a good old-fashioned chinwag, and take

some time out.

“To get the most out of this community, I deeply encourage every father to lean in

and share from their own experiences, ask questions, and take time out for

themselves to attend the meet-ups.”

The weekly family catch-ups are held in Happy Valley, Caloundra, and at Moffat

Beach, where dads can bring their children to meet and play with other children.

“It’s a relaxed get-together with park play time, chilled walks along the coastline,

beach swims, barbecues, and a chance to share openly in a safe environment

without judgement,” explained Patrick.

“We have different weekend activities as a chance for all of us as dads to take time

for ourselves and take the ‘dad hat’ off for a few hours. We get out into nature with

hikes up Mount Ngungun, go-karting trips, axe-throwing events and martial arts

activities.”

Patrick shared how much he enjoys seeing the group bring out the best in everyone.

“I see dads transform as they develop friendships and see that we often face similar

challenges. I have received texts and messages after meetings just to say thank you

for providing this space.

“There is also a flow-on effect when children observe their dads chatting, sharing

time, and relaxing with the group. Wives and partners are keen to support their loved

ones in getting to meetings because they see the positive impact it has on them.

“It’s often wives or partners that tag a dad on a group promotion to share the group

with them. It’s that first step in knowing who we are and how we can help.”

The group is always open to new members; you can message online or just turn up

on the day.

“It doesn’t matter how you connect; we’re here for you, whether one person or the

whole group is in attendance,” Patrick said.

“New members soon see that this is a friendly, supportive community that learns

from our challenges and uses them to fuel our commitment to improving in all areas

of life.

Patrick’s next personal challenge is to head to Imbil to complete the Kokoda

Challenge charity event.

“This event supports their youth program, which aims to instil physical and mental

resilience, confidence, and the values of courage, endurance, mateship, and

sacrifice in young people through the story of the Kokoda Campaign in 1942,” said

Patrick.

“My goal for 2024 is to build the online community and look at introducing new group

locations. We have people interested in Noosa, Beerwah, and all over the coast and

hinterland, so I would like to make it easier for dads to become involved.”

Patrick is also in negotiations on how to collaborate with other community groups

and companies, to provide new communication spaces and connections.

“I would like to introduce breathwork workshops, fire cooking events, and unique

retreats,” he said with an enthusiastic smile.

“At each meet-up, these men take time out of their daily lives to show up, share

what's on their minds, support each other and have a good old laugh. I want this to

become a normal lifestyle event that men and their families can attend as part of the

journey through fatherhood.”

Are you an interested dad? To get in touch with Patrick and learn more about the

Fathers for Change community, search Fathers for Change on Facebook and click

the ‘request to join’ link. A new website is also coming soon, so watch this space for

updates.