Families Need Fathers the Northwest Region. FNF - Keeping children and parents in contact since 1974

SPRING NEWSLETTER - 2004

Dear Families Need Fathers Member,

Southport and Northwest Branch

The Scheduled 2004 meetings will take place on the last Thursday of each month As follows: -

25th March, 29th April, 27th May, 24th June, 29th July, 26th August, 30th September, 28th October and 25th November 2004. Please Note: There is NO December Meeting.

These Meetings commence at 7.30 p.m. prompt and conclude at 9.15 p.m. Venue : "Parenting 2000", The Lodge, Mornington Road, Southport.

Contact Details FNF Southport & Northwest Web Page is: www.fnf-northwest.org.uk

We can be contacted by e-mail on: iansmithfamneedsfathers@btopenworld.com

Or on mobile number 07803 243195 or from 6.30 p.m. up to 8.30 p.m. on 0151 625 0880.

Alternatively contact us by post at: C. /O. 26, Wirral Mount, West Kirby, Wirral. CH48 6EW [Please Clearly Mark All Mail "FNF"]

Southport and Northwest Meetings

The remaining meetings for this year will include a short course of the law applicable to contact and residence. There will be a short 15-minute presentation each month with a handout explaining the various areas of law. The sessions are designed to build on each other. Following that there will be a short presentation on communication and assertiveness. Again, this will be backed up with a handout. The sessions will run throughout the remainder of this year.

Insofar as guest speakers are concerned, there will be several guest speakers throughout the year to be announced, we hope however to have a magistrate, a Family Lawyer and A Manager from the Southport District Court. Also if there is demand we will invite a Senior CAFCASS Officer from the Northwest Region to speak at one of our meetings.

Branch Library

We have an array of books and other literature at the Southport branch. In the past we have given books to members who have attended and many have not been returned, therefore unfortunately from now on we will have to keep details of names and addresses of people who borrow books in order to facilitate the return of those books. If you have books, please return these promptly for the benefit of others.

The leaflets we have on offer include those from CAFCASS, Parenting Plans, Education, The Court Service, C.S.A. and many others.

Charity Merchandising:

We have for Sale [to help raise funds & publicise our Charity] the following items: -

1. Several books including FNFs "For the Sake of the Children", price £8.95p
2. A Specialist Child Law Book Written for Fathers, price £15.00p
3. FNF Ties, price £14.95p
4. Lapel Pins, price £2.50p

Arthur Wright

Members that have attended the meetings in the Northwest will know Arthur. Arthur has been a great ambassador for our charity and a help to many members.

Unfortunately due to ill health Arthur is retiring from Family Needs Fathers with effect from 1st April, though he hopes to complete a small number of ongoing "National" projects. He and Pam both remain "Staunch" Supporters of FNF.

The March meeting will therefore be Arthur's last meeting. I am sure everyone will join me in wishing Arthur well and hoping he and Pam enjoy a long and happy retirement.

Northwest Annual Family Excursion

We hope to organise this [Our Third] annual excursion in August.

Unfortunately the Canal "Narrow Boat" that we hired previously is unavailable on this occasion and we are therefore hoping to make alternative arrangements, probably another canal trip, as the previous two were so well received by both children and parents.

Any suggestions as to possible venue for this year are welcomed from members.

FNF Manchester Branch

These meetings are monthly on the Second Thursday of each month at 7-00pm at the "Friends Meeting House", 6, Mount Street, Manchester. M6.

Contact Details Alan Riley [Chairman]

Telephone: 0161 436 4624

Email: alan.riley@tiscali.co.uk

Wirral, Liverpool and Merseyside Branch

This Branch meets on the Third Thursday of each month.

Venue:

Birkenhead Fire Station, Exmouth Street, Birkenhead. [Opposite the McKenzie Pub.]

Contact Details

Emlyn Jones, Chairman, [FNF Wirral]

Colin Price, Secretary, [FNF Wirral]

Or see Web Page: www.fnf-Wirral.org.uk

Email: maybeWeCanHelp@fnf-Wirral.org.uk

Telephone: 07830 237 510 or 07776 304 973

Northwest Region

Both Arthur Wright and I [Ian Smith] met with Sheena Adam, Regional Manager of CAFCASS North West Region and her Area Manager, Sue Ashton, on 15th March. The meeting was very positive and a number of outcomes agreed or in process, with, hopefully, more to follow.

CAFCASS have undertaken to invite us to one of their training days to offer "Stakeholder" input into the training of their officers. They are also exploring providing a "Designated Liaison Officer" to deal with complaints, urgent problems and queries etc.

We discussed in detail with CAFCASS the possibility of drawing to their attention cases needing urgent attention, such as where a child is critically ill or parents are due to leave the Country etc. CAFCASS are to report back to us shortly. We also hope to receive details of all Areas/ Area Managers within the Northwest Region. We hope to copy these to Local FNF Branch Officers.

For our part CAFCASS have asked us to remind members that if they need to cancel an appointment with a CAFCASS Officer the need to do so sooner rather than later as this may delay not only their case but also those of others.

FNF "NEEDS" YOU.

Please Remember.

All those giving up their time to help run meetings, raise funds and meet officials are unpaid "Volunteers" if either NOW or at some time in the future you feel you can help FNF be it at a meeting, or offer a useful "Skill" you may have or contribute the cause in any other way [Lobby your M.P., Write to the Press, Your Trades Union, Organise a Fundraising event - Even a "Car Boot Sale"!!]

These and MANY other ideas ALL have the potential to help ensure that another generation of kids do NOT endure losing contact with their other parent or grandparents. We have made progress; we are making progress, which needs to be maintained.

We very much look forward to seeing you at forthcoming meetings at any or all the above venues.

Ian Smith.

FNF Trustee, On Behalf of FNF Branches in the Northwest Region.

P.S. When you have finished with this newsletter or the FNF National Magazine "McKenzie" Please place them in your workplace, doctors surgery, or Elsewhere, They may well help some other parent [who does not know of FNF] achieve "Contact" with their child or make a member of the public aware of the problems of contact etc.

Families Need Fathers, 134, Curtain Road, London EC2A 3AR
Tel: 0207 613 5060 - Charity No: 276899 - Company No: 1396139 www.fnf.org.uk