Supporting Disadvantaged Families

The Woodward Charitable Trust has funded various parent-child initiatives that support disadvantaged families through some of the most challenging times – including single parenting, food poverty, mental ill-health, domestic violence, and families where one parent is in prison.

One of the many initiatives that the Trust has supported is TotRockinBeats, which was first funded in 2020. This organisation began when founder Dan Flanagan, fed up with feeling disconnected and spending more time commuting than with his family, had the idea to throw an afternoon party for the community. 450 people took over an old church on a Sunday afternoon, dancing to hip-hop and enjoying art activities together. This sparked further events, addressing the lack of access to affordable social and arts activities faced by many families in the area. TotRockinBeats is now perhaps best known for Dad La Soul. This has had remarkable success in bringing dads together – sparking vital conversations amongst men from different backgrounds who would otherwise be strangers, struggling with isolation. It does this by supporting fathers and male carers from all backgrounds to attend free events – including its trademark afternoon raves – and connect while enjoying activities outside of their usual routines.