CHARITY FOCUS
Tavistock Area Men in Sheds Within minutes of arriving at Tavistock Area Men in Sheds, I’ve been handed a cup of tea and a slice of delicious lemon drizzle cake, as I’m welcomed in. The atmosphere in this compact but wellequipped space is buzzing with activity and friendly banter, and it isn’t long before two members set about another project. Tavistock Area Men in Sheds (TAMIS) officially opened its doors at the end of July. Initially shed sessions revolved around clearing debris and renovating the shed to make it fit for purpose – it now boasts new doors, a strengthened ceiling, lighting and power points, workbenches, shelving, a brand-new porch, and has been freshly painted inside and out. The group
has been fortunate in receiving many donations of machinery and tools and is well equipped to move onto other projects. The members have already carried out some local repair tasks and made bird boxes to sell at the RAF Harrowbeer 1940s Weekend, and plenty of other ideas are stacking up, such as wooden decorations for a TAMIS Christmas tree at the Tree Festival, more bird boxes for Dickensian Evening, as well as repairing tools and furniture, and hiring out their skills to the local community. It is one of the initiatives resulting from the Redeeming Our Communities (ROC) meeting in Tavistock in 2018, when four local action groups were formed. At the end of 2019, thirty people attended a
meeting to discuss starting Tavistock Men in Sheds, and a committee was subsequently formed. Unfortunately, the pandemic then severely hampered further progress, although Zoom meetings continued and Cllrs Debo Sellis and Neil Jory were very supportive in moving the project forward. A location was suggested - a derelict shed, formerly used by Tavistock Gardening Club, which had fallen into disuse after the group was dissolved in the 1990s. The TAMIS committee decided it had potential as a future ‘shed’ and negotiated use of the building, as well as access to some of the adjacent King’s community church facilities. The wellestablished Okehampton Men in Sheds was a huge help and valuable fount of
APPROVED
Tavistock 01822 610222 • Plymouth 01752 869074 • Exeter 01392 401222 We have moved: Unit 2A Westbridge Industrial Estate,Tavistock PL19 8DE
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