Norton Men's Shed

Norton Men's Shed A place to be, but not be alone. Activities to do solo or with others. People not alike but who like each other. Creative and calming.

On our mind over the past few weeks has been Norton Sports Charity's Dave Geldart and his new grandson. Dave wanted a be...
19/06/2026

On our mind over the past few weeks has been Norton Sports Charity's Dave Geldart and his new grandson. Dave wanted a beehive shaped money box for his grandson.

Dennis got underway with drawing up plans but other things were getting in the way of manufacture. In stepped Mike Green, the Struggling Potter, who created a pottery beehive. Dave was pleased.

Then a new Shedder Phil agreed to make one in wood following Dennis' drawing. A fab wooden version

Then Graham and Ray got to work on a 3D printed version.

Below are photos of two of the 3 items.

The third photo is of one of the bridge girders for the garden railway that Walter has decorated. Simple, but very effective.

Lots else going on too.

Just added a 4th photo of a very pleased Tony who has made another great pen!

Now added a 5th photo. Of a first prototype of a special edition beehive money bank for Men's Sheds. We'll be printing the next further improved version to mark a decade plus of Sheds in Whitby district through which Norton Shed has come. We'll be sending the design to some friends to print. Cheaper and easier than sending a physical one!

Now a 6th photo of the china version, though not Chinese!

Shedder Dennis has been nominated for the BBC Radio Tees Make a Difference Awards.Below is an excerpt of the nomination ...
14/06/2026

Shedder Dennis has been nominated for the BBC Radio Tees Make a Difference Awards.

Below is an excerpt of the nomination submitted by person unknown.

"Dennis has become a major part of the Norton Men’s Shed over the last two years and has put his heart and soul into helping guys who have became isolated or just need the human contact. He has given wood turning skills to many members and continues to bring life skills to guys who would normally not get involved."

Dennis well deserves the nomination for the effort he has put in to Norton Shed, particularly out of hours in preparation. An example is the Locomotion 1 stage backdrop where he prepared detailed drawings based on Stevenson's original design. So many Shedders got satisfaction and fun out of that making!

There's a way to go with the Awards process. BBC Tees has outlined the steps.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Our panel of judges will consider all entries and shortlist 32 finalists. We’ll be announcing those finalists live on BBC Radio Tees in the summer. Finalists will be invited to join us at our BBC Radio Tees Make a Difference Awards ceremony in September.

Can he do it? Yes he can!

On our mind is a sense of satisfaction that the Men's Shed event in Lythe, North Yorkshire is taking shape well and ther...
13/06/2026

On our mind is a sense of satisfaction that the Men's Shed event in Lythe, North Yorkshire is taking shape well and there is excellent support too from non-Shedder stakeholders from Whitby district (along the coast) and Norton/Stockton.

Just learnt that North Yorkshire has made £1000 available to cover expenditure on the event (mainly for Portaloo's!) and for promoting the Men's Shed concept over the next year in inland places serving rural areas. A great investment by NYC that Norton Shed will join in supporting because it is what we are doing in Stockton and the wider NE (with Macmillan Cancer Support too).

Thanks to Mulgrave Estates for hosting the event. They want to work with Sheds and other organisations to benefit the districts they cover.

Alongside the Norton Shed Trailer in Port Clarence on a weekly basis, we are launching a new page called "A Men's Shed in Port Clarence?" aimed at reaching men who are at" some kind of a loss in social connection". It is what we have done in introducing Sheds in all the other places over the past decade.

Just to remind, it is about Norton Shed helping new Sheds start that will be run locally. Helping, not launching.over the next year

What's on Graham's mind is that there are now 6 Sheds that result directly from the first Shed outside Whitby just over ...
07/06/2026

What's on Graham's mind is that there are now 6 Sheds that result directly from the first Shed outside Whitby just over a decade ago. It was thanks to North Yorkshire (then County) Council that we got going with a good grant. They and most people had not heard of Sheds, so it was a step of faith for them to stomp up with the grant to help the big problem - men! Their restoration.

There's now a Shed in Portrack we gave help to start, and one in North Shields through Macmillan Cancer Support who gossiped about Norton Shed's Cancer Portal. Word of mouth is often the way men join a Shed and how new Sheds start.

Old timers know each other from the past, but newcomers to our bloodline understandably have no idea. So through an almost accidental meeting (eventually 3 meetings) with Mulgrave Estates near Whitby we decided that getting together in a huge barn (if wet) or outside in the sun (if dry) would be a start to joining up our fragmented dots!

Below is a poster requested by a Shed (old-timers get forgetful) that is 95% AI generated. It is an event for our bloodline Sheds, so it is not a general invitation, although maybe on Teesside we could host a Shed-Fest for all NE Sheds. UK Men's Sheds Association would welcome that. Maybe Spring 2027.

Our thanks to Mulgrave Estates for the venue and North Yorkshire Council for the funding (needed for Portaloo's!). Some of our grant is to take the concept of Sheds to rural outlier communities, which is more or less what we are trying to do on Teesside (without the rural!).

The message is that as a community many things are possible through us (residents) just coming together. Not just Sheds, anything.

What's on our mind is the question many people ask. "What do you do at the Shed?".The important answer is that we exist ...
06/06/2026

What's on our mind is the question many people ask. "What do you do at the Shed?".

The important answer is that we exist for the wellbeing of men.

The second answer is that we do things and make things that result in men talking to each other. Shoulder to Shoulder talk that can be about learning from each other.

Take Ron. Well don't actually take him because we and his wife want him! Due to ill health, Ron cannot come to the Shed under his own steam but he is very accomplished at digital crafts like 3D printing and laser engraving. He is also a driving resource behind model railways and the garden railway in the previous post.

One thing he had not done was to digitally design new items. Last Wednesday we began to rectify that by him learning how to do it. Lesson 1.

What to make? Ron had a need. So we designed and printed a walking stick aid. Take a look.

We help each other to help ourselves.

Next Monday we will again be in Port Clarence with our trailer, ready to meet with anyone that wants to chat, including ...
04/06/2026

Next Monday we will again be in Port Clarence with our trailer, ready to meet with anyone that wants to chat, including about Men's Sheds

We will also be doing. We'll be 3D printing garden scale railway track and woodturning pens from both wood and acrylic. Showing a bit of what can be learnt and shared in a Shed as well as the more important mateship and cuppas!

Were setting up before 10 and will be there until at least noon. Behind the surgery and convenience store.

We'll talk to anybody! 😊

PS The third photo is of the bridge spans that will carry the track. Hope to have some of the units at the Clarence Fun Day involving the Library on August 6th. Give us sunshine 🌞

We thought you might like a guess at what this is snaking across two tables. In fact it is about one-third of the length...
03/06/2026

We thought you might like a guess at what this is snaking across two tables. In fact it is about one-third of the length it will be.

The second photo is a detail of how such a thing can be made and assembled from components and connected.

A clue is that it has a connection to HS2!

Well, is the structure of the garden railway to be taken to events such as fetes, but not for riding on.

Shedders are just kids at heart!

Monday used to be wash day in my grandmother's time. Now we do it when electricity prices are lower!For the next 4 month...
30/05/2026

Monday used to be wash day in my grandmother's time. Now we do it when electricity prices are lower!

For the next 4 months Monday is also Port Clarence day (10am - noon-ish) when Norton Shed is there to chat about Sheds (ours is not the only one) and to share what Sheds can do for men's wellbeing.

Men are a bit of a problem to healthcare practitioners because we do not socialise as easily as women do. Coffee and cake do not hold the same attraction.

UK Men's Sheds Association had a handout which said that if a broken lawnmower was placed near a group of men who did not know each other then they would come up with a variety of ways to fix it or maybe chuck it. At the same time make friends.

That is the attraction of Sheds, they are problem presenting and problem solving places. Even those Shedders who are a bit infirm and cannot do too much physically will put forward their views too - whether or not wanted! Sheds are (or should be) very inclusive of all ways that mem can contribute to the family life of a Shed.

So on Monday we are at our spot behind the former community hub and the convenience store, with our trailer. We want to put over what a Shed is about and that they are the result of a few pioneers working together on how to go about creating a Men's Shed.

Living in Port Clarence or passing through, come and have a chat. Particularly if you are feeling on the outside of things these days.

Ray and Graham will be the regulars and we'll bring a third Norton Shedder sometimes so they see how things are going. You can ask about the difference a Shed has made to them and also their families by having a happier man around.

The poster below will be put in the shop thanks to Glen. so come down and discover.

What's on Graham's mind (not yet revealed to Norton Shedders and not to be a part of Norton Shed) is providing some appr...
29/05/2026

What's on Graham's mind (not yet revealed to Norton Shedders and not to be a part of Norton Shed) is providing some appropriate, positive experience of work for school age kids in Norton.

It has come to mind yesterday as we posted on Facebook about concern for NEETs (Not in Employment, Education or Training). One million currently in the UK. We can choose to believe that they are all work shy layabouts or we can choose that there are many who really do want to get on a rung of the ladder to purposeful work.

I choose to believe the latter. What can Graham do about such a problem. Well, apply his mind to collaborating with others in a Shed-like voluntary way that is along the lines of school-age work experience that used to be until 2012 when it became non-mandatory.

Something that has a challenge and involves youngsters working together to achieve some challenge in a week. Along the lines of yesterday's post about WorkEx (from 2014 in Whitby).

It also would build on another suggestion I floated about the skills, aptitudes and work-life experience of older people. The grandparent generation or even great grandparent. People who mentored people in a workplace. Some Shedders would fit the mould but this is not put forward as a Shed organisation thing.

In summary, a locality pilot (that if successful could be there for copying/further development/localising elsewhere just like Shed growth). There could be some professional input to the design of something. Not controlling, but working with the first one or two groups of youngsters in a background support way.

There are two groups involved. Youngsters and volunteer tutors/mentors/overseers.

Question. Are there young people who think this a good idea (a school even) and are there retired people in and around Norton who might join in initial thinking around this.

If it sparks any interest, please contact Graham through [email protected].

NEETs - Not in Employment, Education or Training.There's been a lot on the news over the past couple of days about the g...
28/05/2026

NEETs - Not in Employment, Education or Training.

There's been a lot on the news over the past couple of days about the growing number of young people who are NEETs. It is not that they do not want to work but the changing nature of work and work opportunities is not on their side.

Many Shedders know the sense of loss when working life ends and work relationships cease. But these are young people who are finding it very hard to step on the ladder of employment and the sense of worth and meaning that comes with doing simething for a purpose.

There is a much longer piece on our web-site https://normens.org.uk/?p=6271 which includes also the idea of school work experience as there used to be. It is from 2014!

It is time to invest effort for the upcoming generations in very uncertain times that we are all in, together.

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Norton Sports Charity Complex
Stockton-on-Tees
TS201PE

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