MEN IN SHEDS

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WELCOME TO MEN IN SHEDS

Supporting older men's wellbeing & rebuilding the community spirit.

A PLACE FOR MEN TO MEET

Men in Sheds Ransom Wood is a place for men to meet and to share their experience and skills and to discuss their possible worries and fears that they may have, particularly in this very trying time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A RENEWED SENSE OF BELONGING

We are also about having fun, talking, sharing skills and knowledge with like-minded people and gaining a renewed sense of purpose and belonging.
We hope to reduce isolation and feelings of loneliness within this age group.
Men in Sheds allow men the chance to discuss and possibly help deal with mental health and wellbeing issues and challenges that sometimes are forgotten.

We also hope that this sense of belonging as a member of Men in Sheds Ransom Wood can make it easier to remain independent and active in their local communities.
Above all, we hope to rebuild the community spirit in our members and, in some cases, make a difference in supporting men's wellbeing in their everyday lives. 

One of the areas that we hope to make a difference is getting our members to speak openly to each other about everyday life that affects their mental wellbeing.

SESSIONS

Sessions are running from Monday to Thursday each week that carry a small charge of £3.00 per session that includes tea, coffee, and biscuits in our purpose-made canteen area.

Open hours:

Mon - Thu : 9:00 - 12:00

Fri - Ladies Day & Major Projects
Mon - Thu : 13:00 - 16:00
Enquire

Our Facility

Our purpose made facility enables the older and/or retired men to spend some of their spare time making all sorts of items from wood.

Our shed is fully equipped with all the necessary machinery and equipment for measuring, sawing, planning, fixing and glueing all types of wooden products.

learn from experienced members

We have experienced members responsible for training and assisting those who are new to the art of woodworking and the use of machines.

There are two sessions daily running from Monday to Thursday each week. They carry a small charge of £3.00 per session and includes tea, coffee, and biscuits.

WHAT IS A MAN'S SHED?

Men’s Shed (or Sheds) are similar to garden sheds – a place to pursue practical interests at their own leisure, practice skills, and enjoy making and mending. The difference is that garden sheds and their activities are often solitary, while Men’s Sheds are the opposite. They’re about social connections and friendship building, sharing skills and knowledge, and of course, a lot of laughter.

Sheds are whatever the members (or Shedders as we call them) want them to be. Although labelled sheds, they often aren’t sheds at all. They can be empty offices, portable cabins, warehouses, garages, and in at least one case, a disused mortuary now named T.O.M. Some Sheds are purpose-built workshops, but they rarely start out that way.

Many don’t have premises at all initially and instead form a group that meets regularly for social connection, company, and camaraderie until they can find somewhere to kit out with tools. Many Sheds also get involved in community projects like restoring village features, helping maintain parks and green spaces, and building things for schools, libraries and individuals in need.

Activities in Sheds vary greatly, but you can usually find woodworking, metalworking, repairing and restoring, electronics, model buildings, or even car building in a typical Shed.

Sheds typically attract older men, but many have younger members and women too. Whatever the activity, the essence of a Shed is not a building but the connections and relationships between its members.

WHY ARE THEY NEEDED?

Research has shown the negative impact of loneliness and isolation on health and well-being for a long time. In recent years, we have seen more evidence come to light that shows loneliness and isolation can be as hazardous to our mental health and general health as obesity and excessive smoking. Surveys from mental health charities find that millions of people report feeling lonely daily.

Men typically find it more difficult to build social connections than women. Unlike women of a similar age, fewer older men have networks of friends and rarely share personal concerns about health and personal worries. It is not the case for all men, but for some, when retirement comes, it can feel like personal identity and purpose are lost.

Men’s Sheds can change all of that. Sheds are about meeting like-minded people and having someone to share your worries with. They are about having fun, sharing skills and knowledge with like-minded people, and gaining a renewed sense of purpose and belonging. As a by-product of all of that, they reduce isolation and feelings of loneliness. They allow men to deal with mental health challenges more efficiently, remain independent, and rebuild communities. In many cases, they save men’s lives.

Men’s Sheds are vital community facilities.

Latest News

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24 Feb 2022
Men In Sheds Founding Story
February 24, 2022

Men In Sheds Founding Story

An introduction to Men In Sheds, Ransom Wood Men in Sheds workshop at Ransom Wood is a project aimed exclusively at retired men to enhance and support them in later life and help with their mental health and wellbeing, involving them in their local community. The three founding members of Men in Sheds are a […]

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