A potted History of Men’s sheds
The Men’s Shed concept originated in Australia in 1998.
There seemed to be a gap in supporting activity for men, in particular over the age of 60, and after some initial research it was seen that there was indeed a demand.
Men can find it difficult to build social connections and rarely discuss or share personal issues, so a friendly and welcoming environment that encourages men to feel part of a ‘shedding community’ can help alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation.
The UK now has 1100 (Mar-24) Men’s Sheds up and running across the country of which he Heathfield Men’s Shed is one & even more are in development linked to the UK Men’s Shed Association. These actively involved an estimated 33,000 Shedder’s across the country.