Working with Men, the charity that supports positive male engagement in families and society, has just become the joint secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fatherhood.

The charity, which was shortlisted in last year’s Charity Awards, will join the Fatherhood Institute as joint secretariat for the APPG.

Shane Ryan, chief executive, said he had been asked some time ago by the APPG’s chair, David Lammy MP, to take up the role but he had always felt that Westminster and Whitehall were somehow out of reach, and genuine connection with them unattainable.

But after Working with Men produced a report for the Department for Work and Pensions last year on the barriers faced by separated fathers and collaborated on another, Are we nearly there yet, Dad? with Barnardo's and other agencies, he realised the potential for influencing policy.

Also, he confessed, David Lammy impressed upon him that he could not very well complain that policymakers did not listen enough to charities like Working with Men, if he was not prepared to take on roles such as this when offered.

“So I thought I’d better put my money where my mouth is,” Ryan said.  “I hope it will allow us to work with them in a more constructive fashion.”

Now he wants to hear from other charities that have examples of good practice and successful projects for dads, particularly young fathers, that they can share with the APPG and highlight at events.

“We want to try and get like-minded individuals together and identify good work that might be able to be replicated or scaled up,” Ryan said.