A Men's Shed is a larger version of the typical shed in the garden – a place where one feels at home and pursues practical interests with a high degree of autonomy. A Men's Shed offers this to a group of such men and women where members share the tools and resources they need to work on projects of their own choosing at their own pace and in a safe, friendly and inclusive venue. They are places o
f skill-sharing and informal learning, of individual pursuits and community projects, of purpose, achievement and social interaction. A shed is a place of leisure where men come together to work. A Shed’s activities usually involve making or mending in wood (e.g. carpentry, joinery, turning, carving, whittling, marquetry, furniture renovation) and upholstery, boat renovation. Reclamation, reuse and restoration will feature strongly – and some say that is true of the men too! Although Sheds mostly attract older men, men and women of any age are welcome. Whichever activities are pursued the essence of a Shed is not a building, which some don’t have, but the network of friendships between the members.
