A GUIDE TO MEN IN SHEDS
ISSUE 1
This movement began in Australia when men realised they could come together around practical tasks on a regular basis, particularly if they had a designated place or workshop where tools and work in pogress could be stored. This appeals to men living alone or with partners and at all ages although the vast majority of 'shedders' are at or beyond retirement date. Many older men lose some sense of purpose with the loss of their work role, status, workmates, income etc and can find themselves disengaged from their community if the pub or sports is not their thing. The generality of community activities on offer do not appeal to men and with their own expectation of meeting their own needs then some level of social isolation can occur. Men with their own shed have often developed their skills and interests there but in a larger facility, with better or more equipment, with skills you can develop with others and jobs you can do for the community a Men's Shed offers something new. Finding a way of working, alongside others and with a purpose in view but without imposed demands can be exactly what many men need.
There are now more than 900 Sheds in Australia with others in New Zealand, Ireland, Canada and also in the USA where they are called ‘men’s dens’. Members worldwide point in particular to the health and well-being benefits of men coming together. The Shed concept was first realised in England by Age Concern Cheshire at Hartford in 2009, about the same time as the first Shed in Ireland. Now there are over 50 Sheds open in the UK, with many others being planned. They vary from full-time projects with paid staff and occupying industrial premises to groups meeting in village halls and community centres for only a few hours a week. Some Sheds are in deeply rural locations, most are in small towns but considering their populations there are relatively few in the larger cities.
There are Sheds that have been started by their users, churches, by village development trusts, by large charities, by health authorities and even as the result of a County authority tendered contract. Roughly a third have been started by Age UK affiliates. Men’s Sheds have the potential to be of great benefit to their participants so this Association has been created to help raise the profile and enable more people to get to hear of the idea. By forming an Association, we will create many more opportunities to share information, knowledge and experience and to create mutually beneficial arrangements. Age Concern Cheshire set up its first Men in Sheds project in Hartford in January 2009 using short term funding. They employed a full time Coordinator to get it going and rented a 1000 sq. full time factory unit in an industrial estate.
Sufficient tools were purchased for 6-10 men including various bench tools. Initial publicity went out in the press and was followed up with a public meeting in the town. In Oct 2010 they received £493,000 of Lottery money for further Sheds and this process was repeated in Crewe, Chester and Ellesmere Port. All four sheds are open four days per week with a paid coordinator in each supported by nominated volunteers. An average of 170 men per week pass through the doors and together clock up over 30,000 man/hours in a year, including 5000 hours by the 11 volunteers. Age UK Cheshire (note the name change) continue to administer the lottery funding.
‘It’s great to learn new skills, get advice and sit and have a chat’
Bernie
The way to start a Shed as recommended by the Australian Men’s Shed Association is to call a public meeting and having discussed it decide as a group whether to go ahead. A committee is formed at that meeting and meets perhaps monthly followed by a general meeting where the committee’s ideas are aired and offers of help sought from the wider group. Often the people calling the initial meeting will be an organisation willing to play a part in developing any subsequent Shed. Whilst there are examples of groups of friends meeting informally in a private space once the activity becomes a public one then issues such as responsibility, finance, renting, identity etc need to be faced. Unless it is only financed by its members a group will need to form an organization and open a bank account in the organisation’s name in order to help with fundraising. You might wish to register as a charity with the Charity Commission. Maintaining Health and Safety in a Shed is a constant activity. Fortunately it mostly calls for care and common sense with the area most likely to be neglected being the record-keeping. This is needed as evidence that you were careful. A policy is evidence that you have thought about the issues. Plans will need to be made for example for safety training for all members, maintenance of machinery and tools, electrical circuit adaptations, hazardous substances control e.g dust, finishes, and keeping the place tidy and uncluttered etc. You need public liability insurance and may need contents, products, and employers liability also. One company to check are specialist charity and social enterprise insurer CaSE Insurance, a social enterprise formed by The Charity Aid Foundation, National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Bates Wells & Braithwaite, the sector’s largest law firm, see www.caseinsurance.co.uk. Another is specialist craftwork insurer Ian Wallace Insurances which offers low premiums if the cover is appropriate, see www.craftinsurance.co.uk
Whilst the strongest, most sustainable Shed is one that has found the necessary resources from within the group and its contacts, most Sheds will need grants, at least to get started. With sufficient funds to rent on the open market finding a premises is no problem but if not this is likely to be the hardest part of getting started. Assuming commercial renting is not affordable or the obligations are too onerous, then community spaces or networking are the way forward. (Local authority property is now normally let at the commercial rate but sometimes on better terms.) The equipment you’ll need will obviously depend on what the men want to do. The Holywood Shed started with modern technology because that was one common thread in a survey of needs that the men often found mobiles and computers confusing. The range of work in South Armagh Sheds has involved fixing vehicles, craftwork and drumming. A Shed in Eire maintains the exhibits in the local museum and another is repairing bikes. However most Sheds have wood work as their common thread. A sample list of tools for this will be added shortly but experience has shown you can get most of the hand tools and some power tools secondhand by appealing to the community. If pricing new then start by checking Axminster Tools www.axminster.co.uk. E-Bay can give good value.
Keeping in touch with networks, local organizations and different businesses with similar interests can produce helpful information, people and outcomes. For information get on the mailing list of your local Council for Voluntary Service or other body supporting the voluntary sector; materials have come via organisations involved in recycling, an Emmaus group; joint projects via a boat museum, wildlife trusts, an archery club, an author on educational tools for autistic children; people via Stroke Association, Alzheimers group, Healthy Living Centres. The start-up stage of a Shed can sometimes take longer than expected because it can take time to get your ideas sorted and for your working group to weld together. Discussion might cover: Who needs a Shed? Of those people who might benefit will you focus on a particular set? Might there be intergenerational work? Will women not be allowed? Accommodating special needs? Will it give particular focus to: being productive, creative, active, meeting others, helping others, learning, reuse of materials? What skills/experience do we have? Can we manage the key functions of coordination, becoming an organisation, raising money, administration, finance records, negotiating for property, networking with potential members and community publicity? Cost. Will it be free to attend? A membership fee? Will it need to sell things to continue?
Identity Guide The Men in Sheds logo uses two shed shapes to form an ‘M’. When possible the logo should always be displayed as below:
If the logo needs to be presented on a coloured background, a reversed logo should be styled as pictured below:
When the Men in Sheds name is needed within the logo it should be displayed like the following:
The main logo should be used in the following colours:
If the logo is placed over a photograph or illustration than the colour may be taken from the image.
The Men in Sheds logo should always be surrounded by an empty space measuring a third of the logo itself. It has no maximum size but must not be reduced below 3mm squared. For any other identity queries please contact Men in Sheds directly.
C0, M0, Y0, K100 C0, M0, Y0, K0
R35, G31, B32 R255, G255, B255
C47, M20, Y18, K0 C89, M74, Y50, K52 C0, M0, Y0, K90 C0, M0, Y0, K40 C0, M0, Y0, K18
R138, G177, B193 R27, G44, B62 R65, G64, B66 R167, G169, B172 R213, G214, B216
C43, M82, Y84, K67 C24, M57, Y79, K8 C26, M68, Y100, K38 C32, M80, Y100, K38 C28, M36, Y59, K2
R70, G27, B16 R182, G118, B73 R169, G95, B39 R122, G55, B25 R186, G157, 117