Today we are very excited to share the launch of our new video series, HuffPost Personal: UK, which examines the human experience through personal insight and perspective.
The world is changing at a dizzying pace right now, with issues affecting us all in some way - HuffPost Personal: UK will be a place that you can see those changes happening close up, hear different perspectives and hopefully come away with a fresh view on things. In our first slate of releases, I hope you find the essence of what we’re trying to do. We’re not trying to make you change your mind on an issue but instead to show you the personal stories behind the news and issues that rumble on around us.
Our first episode is with Dan Flanagan, a dad who was left feeling lonely in his role as a stay-at-home dad. Unable to develop relationships with other dads in the same situation, Dan was determined to set up a dads-only parenting group for dads to come together and hang out with their kids and one another.
Speaking with Dan, he made me realise how sometimes we as a society try and run before we can walk. Our shifting perception of what a dad’s role is in a modern family is overdue, but without fundamental changes to society’s approach, we won’t create the support network for dads to be the modern version that we hope they can be, instead setting them up for failure.
Filming this episode, I left feeling overwhelmingly appreciative of the fact that in Britain we have figures like Dan who are ready to take up a cause when they see a situation that isn’t working - and that they try to make a difference. Watch the episode here and I hope you see how big a difference he is making to the dads and children that go to his group, Dad La Soul. I really hope you enjoy it as much as we did making it.
Over the coming weeks we’ll be releasing a new episode, every Tuesday, with voices such as an acid attack survivor who’s challenging definitions of beauty, an octogenarian protestor still taking the fight to authority, and a former Miss Universe Great Britain who’s breaking down racial barriers, amongst others. We have a diverse range of people from around the country that we are sure illuminate the issues we all face, and leave us inspired.
That said, we need your help though to make the series all that it can be. We want HuffPost Personal: UK to be as varied and interesting as our readership. With so much going on in the world, sometimes we miss the voices that deserve to be heard and so we ask that if anyone comes to mind, please send them our way!
If you know of anyone who’s faced an issue and decided to not settle for the status quo, who’s tried to make a difference, no matter how small, we want to hear about them. And if there’s an issue that you feel needs to be spoken about, let us know. Email me at john.johnston@huffpost.com or on catch me on Twitter at @johnjohnston100.
Thanks for watching.