Faced with a roomful of mothers chatting over cups of tea, dads Thomas Lynch and David Marshall were used to stopping at the door when they dropped their toddlers off at playgroup.

But now the pair are bucking the mother-orientated trend when it comes to childcare.

Beginning this Saturday, the two men will launch a fathers-only playgroup, aimed to give dads their own opportunity for a powwow while spending quality time with their little ones.

Dad’s Rock – a double-edged title thought up by Queen fan David – will be for children under the age of four in the west of the city, though the founders are hoping to expand.

Thomas, who works in human resources and as a counsellor, said: “There’s nothing in Edinburgh like this. When parents stay at a playgroup it’s generally mums sitting having a cup of tea. If we can get a small group of dads together there will be a bit of peer support.

“We want to get the group started and to get some local, Wester Hailes dads involved. But our aim is to get it stabilised so that we can maybe pull back and start it elsewhere in Edinburgh.”

David, a delivery driver for The Co-operative, added: “It’s a matter of finding dads a place on the map to spend time with their children – this is their space. On the flip side it gives mums the chance to relax and spend some time alone. In the long term we’d like to have older children coming along too.”

Committed to shattering the hands-off father stereotype, Dads Rock, which is affiliated to the charity Fathers Network, will offer men the chance to discuss their feelings and experiences of fatherhood.

Father-of-one David, who suffered from postnatal depression after the birth of his daughter Freya, now two and a half, explained that, contrary to popular belief, fathers still need to speak about their emotions.

He said: “There’s the whole cliché of the caveman thing, it’s still like that in certain societies. But I just wanted to share my story with anybody who would listen.”

Thomas, who has a son Lewis, 3 and a half, continued: “My experience is that quite often you can be ignored by medical people when your partner is pregnant. However, if you can get kids young enough you can help fathers to be the best they can be.”

But what can the little visitors expect from the group? “We’re going to have free play, creative art and music with instruments like tambourines,” said Thomas. “Our hope is that kids who are close to four years old are interested in music and once they get used to it we can maybe have a little concert.”

David added: “We really want to promote healthy eating with the kids too, so instead of sweets and sugary snacks we’re going to have bananas, raisins and fruit juice.”

The Dads Rock team are now busy promoting the free group, to be held at Gate 55 community centre in Sighthill on Saturdays, via social networks, in local schools and colleges and in doctors’ surgeries, with flyers both in English and Polish.

The first meeting will take place at Gate 55, Sighthill, this Saturday, February 11, from 10am to 11.30am.

Visit the Dads Rock Facebook page, follow them on Twitter or email dads.rock@yahoo.co.uk for more information.

IN DETAIL

Fathers Network Scotland