Australian Community Father of The Year 2024
Shaun Chandran
Shaun Chandran: Uniting Dads and Building Fathering Communities
Meet Shaun Chandran, Australian Community Father of the Year 2024.
Shaun Chandran’s journey from a new dad seeking connection to being named Australian Community Father of the Year 2024 is a testament to the power of community and shared experiences. Shaun’s passion for fatherhood and his commitment to supporting others have made a profound impact on hundreds of dads across Western Australia.
In March 2020, Shaun founded the Belmont Dads Group with a simple yet powerful vision: to create a community where fathers could connect, support each other, and navigate the challenges of parenthood together. What started as a small group quickly blossomed into the largest dads’ group in Australia, bringing together over 500 fathers weekly—a rarity in the country.
Fatherhood is one of the most important roles in our lives. But it can also be filled with exhaustion, confusion and social isolation,” said Shaun.
“When I became a Dad, I was seeking to connect with other Dads so we could support each other and learn together.”
In 2024, with support from The Fathering Project, Shaun launched the SMG Dads Group, focusing on dads with school-aged children. Their first event, “Paper Planes and Pizza,” drew over 200 fathers and kids, underscoring Shaun’s belief that fathers thrive when they connect as a community.
I’ve always been guided by a principle of ‘why dad alone when we can dad together?’ The engagement in our dads groups emphasise the critical need among fathers to connect as a community.
The Fathering Project’s Father of the Year Awards coincides with the launch of its 2024 Father’s Day campaign, #SafeWithYou, which underscores the crucial role fathers and father figures play in ensuring the safety and well-being of children.
For Shaun, this message is personal. “The work of The Fathering Project resonates deeply with me because safety is found in the presence of connection and community — in creating spaces where fathers can come together without judgment, share experiences, and learn from each other.”
Above all, Shaun remains a devoted family man, prioritising quality time with his children and partner. His unwavering commitment to fatherhood and his community serves as an inspiring example of the positive influence fathers can have, both within their families and for the whole community.
Shaun's message for Dads
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Children thrive when they have involved, engaged and present fathers. Not all children experience the benefits of having a positive father in their life.
With your generous support, The Fathering Project will continue to help improve the lives of children today and for generations to come.
Your donation provides fathers and father figures, the tools to engage with their children to help them thrive.
