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Happy Father’s Day to all the dads, grandads and father figures! I hope you’re able to spend precious time with friends and family today and celebrate the positive influence dads have. If you’re grieving the loss of your father, or you’re not able to see or spend time with your children, my thoughts and prayers are certainly with you.

Earlier this week, my father (Dads4Kids cofounder Warwick Marsh) and I, along with dear friends and Dads4Kids supporters Steve Darcy and Crawford Dagger, had the pleasure of visiting One80TC, an addiction treatment centre in Yarramundi, NSW.

One80TC do amazing work rescuing lives from the devastating effects of alcohol and drug addiction to restore hope and rebuild families. Dads4Kids has partnered with One80TC for many years. In 2003, Dads4Kids friend Mal Feebrey and his team from One80TC were part of putting together the 12-Pt plan to restore fatherhood in Australia.

For me, our connection with One80TC goes back even further. In the late 1990s/early 2000s, my brother Jono and I were in a rap metal band called ‘bent’. Similar to Dads4Kids, One80TC is crowd-funded, so we decided as a band to support their great work by raising awareness and donating proceeds from the release of our album No Compromise in 2001 to One80TC.

My wonderful wife Jodi reminded me this week that she also attended bent’s album release concert as a fan (her words, not mine), so it was a great time in more ways than one!

One80TC’s important work rescuing, restoring and rebuilding lives is certainly much needed. Thanks to the Mal Feebrey Scholarship Program, Dads4Kids values having a group of students from One80TC join us each year at the Men’s Leadership Summit. From time to time, we’re honoured to visit One80TC’s program centre nestled within God’s beautiful creation at Yarramundi, northwest of Sydney.

Having former semi-professional bodybuilder Steve Darcy and our friend Crawford Dagger share their stories was extra special. As great Australian Ian ‘Watto’ Watson used to say, ‘I have never seen a bloke go backwards with encouragement.’ Troy Kitto and his excellent team at One80TC run a life-changing educational and personal development program. Having Darcy and Dagger there on Wednesday to share their personal stories was certainly a massive encouragement to the men.

Their message was one of facing your mistakes, connecting with our Father in Heaven, and taking the necessary steps, week in week out, to be the change in their lives and the lives of their families. The great thing about the One80TC program, just like the Men’s Leadership Summit, is that you’re not on your own. The positivity and camaraderie among the men are inspirational, and it was wonderful to spend some time together.

Stronger Together

In 2017, Irish rockers The Script released their track “No Man Is an Island“. It’s got a great groove, and an even greater message. Here are some of the lyrics:

I’m a love, love refugee
Don’t let nobody get close to me
I’m a hard, hard fugitive
Always running, that’s the way I live

‘Cause when you go solo, end up feeling so low
You become your own worst enemy
Thinking that there’s no hope, and your boat won’t float
This is why she said, what she said to me

No man is an island, no one should be on their own
Look in the horizon, ’cause love will always take you home
She said all hearts break, don’t lose faith, you can’t live life that way
No man is an island, no one should be on their own
No man is an island

The Dads4Kids Men’s Leadership Summit continues to go from strength to strength. It was life-changing for me in 2018, and my prayer is that 2025 was life-changing for all the participants and One80TC students who joined us. Planning is well underway for 28–30 August 2026 — I hope to see you there!

Lovework

If Father’s Day is difficult for you, please reach out to someone you trust. Please don’t bottle the pain up inside. I pray you’re able to celebrate Father’s Day with family, friends, or someone who will help you be the best you can be.

Consider joining with other men, growing as a father and journeying together for the upcoming 10-week Courageous Online Fathering Course (starts 8pm (AEDT) 9 October 2025, on Zoom). Or you could plan to be at next year’s Men’s Leadership Summit, 28-30 August 2026, at Stanwell Tops, New South Wales. Check out our Video of the Week for an inspirational message from Dads4Kids friend Owen Matheson. Remember, as The Script sings, ‘no man is an island.’

Yours for not being an island,
Nathaniel Marsh

P.S. If you’re encouraged by the work of Dads4Kids and would like to support us in the mission to help Aussie dads be the best they can be for their children, please consider making a tax-deductible donation here.

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Republished thanks to Dads4Kids.