Mens Shed

[Simon Neath 2Participant @simonneath2]

Our club like I am sure many others is looking at ways of increasing its membership. One option we are looking at is to join Men’s Shed. We have spoken with them, and they are happy for us to join, and it works geographically with other local Shed’s. We still need work through some of the details of how it will work for us. Have any other clubs considered or joined MS and if so how did it work for you.

Thanks Simon

[john fletcher 1Participant @johnfletcher1]

Hello Simon, I’ve been the metal working tutor at our local ‘MATES’, (sounds posh) for about 3 years, I give what I think is safe tuition to those who would like to use the Super 7 with PCF and G/box and large bench top mill, all donated from a long time friend of mine.

‘MATES’, not quite the same of an exclusive ME club, but I think its mutually beneficial. I find ‘MATES’ a nice bunch of people, I look forward to going, good to be useful, the place is very clean, tidy and warm. Tea/coffee available, therefore not a lot actually gets done, so very similar to an ME club. I’m sure you won’t have any regrets linking up. At the local venue, there is pottery, a wheel and kiln, painting, wood turning, pyro techniques and lots of talking taking place, so a lot going on. John

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I emailed our local men’s shed via the link on their website. Didn’t even get the courtesy of a reply.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Duncan, It may be the email is out of date, or the admin has changed or they just don’t get round to looking at it very often. The shed, like an ME club, can be full of people who don’t really get on with modern tech. See if you can find out where it is and GO THERE.

The key purpose of a shed is social interaction underlying the more obvious purpose of having access to equipment and space for making things. Many ME clubs (and sports, golf, allotment, knitting, art clubs) operate like this depending on what sort of facilities they have at their club house – the people are the same just the reason for being there is different.
Sheds are all different. At mine now entering its tenth year you turn up when you like, leave when you like, and mix in with projects as you like. You can help one of the community projects or make your own whatever. We only have woodwork equipment at the moment owing to lack of space and small size in a rural community but do have all sorts of interests.
There is a small voluntary donation to cover the vast quantities of tea we consume. It is a very social organisation and has been a great help in getting people out of their house and meeting people from other villages as rural life can be rather insular. We are a registered charity and cater for some people with restrictions as we even have a wheelchair equipped bus. We have regular interactions with our local Mayor and were visited by our MP when he was a cabinet minister and we wanted help getting planning permission, not being used as a photo op for him.

However I hear of other sheds where you just pay a fee and have to book a bench space to do your own job almost in isolation. In another shed I heard they just play dominos. In big city sheds they have lots of members and lots of equipment and can cover metal as well as wood. You can also use a shed as a chance to meet some people to see if they are interested in forming an ME club.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

What Bazyle describes is just what we have been invited to help with, when the promised lathe and pillar drill finally arrive.

My hope is that having used a machine, and acquired skill, together with having something to show for their activity will improve self esteem and confidence for the participants, as well as the social interaction. (Which is the object of the charity)

Howard

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