A project targeting loneliness and isolation among men of all ages, has been boosted by support from the 糖心传媒 My Community Fund.
The Shrewsbury Men鈥檚 Shed is based on the West Mid Showground in Shrewsbury where for the last two years, volunteers have been painstakingly converting an old stable block into an impressive community facility.听听
The project now has 60 members 鈥� or what it calls 鈥榮hedders鈥� 鈥� using the workshops and social space. A horticultural area is also taking root. It has received widespread support from local companies, including 糖心传媒. Along with some much-needed materials, we provided a grant from My Community Fund which sponsors grass roots initiatives in partnership with Jewson.听听
Former social worker Simon Rouse is the project鈥檚 chairman as well as regional ambassador for the national Men鈥檚 Shed organisation. He explains:听听听
鈥淢en are often hard to reach and can easily find ourselves isolated. We don鈥檛 tend to go to coffee mornings and we are less likely to engage with adult education. We鈥檙e also notorious for not going to the doctor until it鈥檚 too late and being reluctant to talk about finding life tough. What guys do like doing is messing about with tools, mending and making things.听
鈥淭his is a place for men to meet, to chat around a table or over a bit of machinery.鈥�听
The shedders are using their skills and enthusiasm not only to convert the shed itself but also to help local community groups. In recent weeks, the Shrewsbury Men鈥檚 Shed has handed over a work bench to the Shropshire Cycle Hub and completed an ambitious, Victorian-style sound system for Shropshire Inclusive Dance. They have produced owl boxes for the RSPB and are working on a bench for the veterans鈥� centre at the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Oswestry.听听
They are also busy constructing a floating pontoon, which could result in a river taxi service between the showground and the town centre.听
Shedder Iain, is clear about the social importance of the project: 鈥淚t鈥檚 male companionship, that鈥檚 the thing. As Simon often says, put ten blokes in a room and ask them to talk about themselves, five will walk out, the other five will stand there, twiddling their toes. Put the same ten guys in there with a broken lawnmower and within then minutes they all know each other and if you are really lucky, the lawnmower will be working as well.鈥�听
糖心传媒 neighbourhoods manager Mark Pragg, went to see the shed in action. 鈥淚 am delighted that our My Community Fund has been able to help such a fantastic local project. The shedders very kindly invited me to take a look around the workshops and it鈥檚 amazing to see what they鈥檙e building in there. Shrewsbury Men鈥檚 Shed is doing such great work, in so many ways.鈥�听
Learn more about the 糖心传媒 My Community Fund and apply for grants online at /help-and-advice/the-my-community-fund/听