A FATHER is using rap battles and Lego to help bring his fellow dads closer to their children.

Dan Flanagan was working long hours and struggled to find time to see his son, Natty.

The Worthing father-of-one said: “I would leave really early in the morning and get home just about in time to put him to bed.

“There were some times when I would put him to bed and wish him to sleep because I had my phone and was looking at client emails, that was my priority”.

So in 2017 he set up Dad La Soul, a dad-friendly parenting group which now has more than 500 members from across Sussex.

It is hosted by Brighton charity Audio Active and offers dads and their children the chance to take part in activities such as soft-play, crafting, filmmaking, seaweed tasting, beach raves, toy repair and “dad and kid rap”.

Dan said: “Dad La Soul is a lot

of fun but there is a serious message behind it.

“We bring the dads and kids together with amazing activities, to break down barriers and start conversations which dads may not have otherwise.

“Being a dad can be quite a lonely life, but men don’t like to talk about it.

“Once you get over those initial barriers and have conversations, you start to see a different side of blokes.

“We don’t just want to talk about beer and the footie, we want to have fun and play with our kids without judgement and have someone understand how hard it can be not seeing your children very often because of the commute.”