March 2026 Fellows' update: Sonia Shaljean
Sonia Shaljean (CF 2025) contributed an article to the Spring edition of Education Choices Magazine on emotional literacy and its relationship to behaviour and learning.
By Sonia Shaljean, 24 March 2026
Fellow's Profile
Sonia Shaljean
Fellow's Profile
Sonia Shaljean
"Mentoring Fatherless Boys: Global insights and lessons for the UK"
Fellowship
- Themes
- Focus
-
Improving outcomes for fatherless boys by exploring global approaches to male mentoring
- Countries
- Fellowship year
-
2025
Biography
I'm the Founder and Managing Director of Lads Need Dads CIC, a multi-award-winning social enterprise based in the UK. We provide long-term and early intervention support to boys aged 10-18 who are growing up without a father. My Fellowship focuses on fatherlessness and mentoring. I will travel to the USA, South Africa, and Australia to explore how successful community-led mentoring projects equip fatherless boys with the guidance, emotional support and male role models they need to thrive.
My motivation for this project comes from over two decades working in frontline services including domestic abuse, substance misuse, homelessness and offending behaviour. Again and again, I witnessed the impact of absent fathers on the lives of men. That experience led me to establish Lads Need Dads in 2015, where I've seen first-hand how early intervention and consistent male mentoring act as powerful protective factors.
By learning from international best practice and building long-term partnerships, the goal is to strengthen and scale support across the UK - ensuring more boys can reach their full potential.
Activity
February 2026 Fellows' update: Sonia Shaljean
Sonia Shaljean (CF 2025) was named one of the inaugural Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys Champions, as part of a list of around 100 individuals recognised across sport, academia, charities, business, politics and the arts.
By Sonia Shaljean, 25 February 2026
November 2025 Fellows' update: Sonia Shaljean
Sonia Shaljean (CF 2025) has been named National Agent of Change at the She Inspires Global Awards 2025, recognising her work addressing fatherlessness and supporting boys through positive male role models. Her organisation, Lads Need Dads, also recently contributed to the Centre for Social Justice’s national report.
By Sonia Shaljean, 27 November 2025
November 2025 Fellows' update: Sonia Shaljean
Sonia Shaljean (CF 2025) contributed to Father Figuring, a new BBC Radio 4 series exploring fatherhood and father absence through the experiences of comedian Darren Harriott.
By Sonia Shaljean, 15 November 2025
October 2025 Fellows' update: Sonia Shaljean
Sonia Shaljean (CF 2025) appeared on BBC Radio Leicester to discuss the importance of positive male role models for boys.
By Sonia Shaljean, 17 October 2025
Disclaimer
All Reports are copyright © the author. The moral right of the author has been asserted. The views and opinions expressed by any Fellow are those of the Fellow and not of the Churchill Fellowship or its partners, which have no responsibility or liability for any part of them.
Activity
March 2026 Fellows' update: Sonia Shaljean
Sonia Shaljean (CF 2025) contributed an article to the Spring edition of Education Choices Magazine on emotional literacy and its relationship to behaviour and learning.
By Sonia Shaljean, 24 March 2026
February 2026 Fellows' update: Sonia Shaljean
Sonia Shaljean (CF 2025) was named one of the inaugural Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys Champions, as part of a list of around 100 individuals recognised across sport, academia, charities, business, politics and the arts.
By Sonia Shaljean, 25 February 2026
November 2025 Fellows' update: Sonia Shaljean
Sonia Shaljean (CF 2025) has been named National Agent of Change at the She Inspires Global Awards 2025, recognising her work addressing fatherlessness and supporting boys through positive male role models. Her organisation, Lads Need Dads, also recently contributed to the Centre for Social Justice’s national report.
By Sonia Shaljean, 27 November 2025
November 2025 Fellows' update: Sonia Shaljean
Sonia Shaljean (CF 2025) contributed to Father Figuring, a new BBC Radio 4 series exploring fatherhood and father absence through the experiences of comedian Darren Harriott.
By Sonia Shaljean, 15 November 2025
October 2025 Fellows' update: Sonia Shaljean
Sonia Shaljean (CF 2025) appeared on BBC Radio Leicester to discuss the importance of positive male role models for boys.
By Sonia Shaljean, 17 October 2025
Disclaimer
All Reports are copyright © the author. The moral right of the author has been asserted. The views and opinions expressed by any Fellow are those of the Fellow and not of the Churchill Fellowship or its partners, which have no responsibility or liability for any part of them.
