Renew

11/10/2026

🛠️ Sometimes, a cuppa, a chat and a bit of time in the Shed can make all the difference.

That's one of the wonderful things about Men's Sheds. You can pop in to work on a project, catch up with a, learn something new or simply enjoy a bit of company. No pressure, no fuss, just good people and a place to belong.

Today is World Mental Health Day, a good reminder of just how important friendships, community and having people around us can be. Those everyday connections, often made over a workbench or a brew, are a big part of what makes Sheds so special.

To mark the day, we've brought together some useful information, resources and support in one place. Whether it's something for you, a fellow Shedder or someone in your wider community, there's plenty worth knowing about and sharing.

🔗 Take a look and pass it on to your Shed. You never know when a little bit of information might come in handy.

https://menssheds.org.uk/news-story/world-mental-health-day-2026/

Here's to good company, strong connections and looking out for one another. 💚

Photo credit: Men's Shed Worcester

24/09/2026

25/08/2026

This week we'd like to introduce you to our Maintenance Manager, Kevin. He makes sure everything works and fixes all things that are broken!

1. What drew you to work at the night Shelter?
During COVID people were allowed to volunteer and as the van drivers of the night shelter were on furlough they needed people to drive their vans. As a volunteer, this was helpful for my wellbeing, to get out and do something practical.

Night Shelter wouldn’t have been a natural choice for me, but God has a way of getting you where you need to be when you don’t know what you need.

2. A brief testimony / history of how you came to Swindon Night Shelter
In 2021, I started at Night Shelter as a volunteer van driver and felt I was making an important contribution and enjoyed being part of their team.

I was soon asked to help manage the night shelter shop, The Hub, due to one member of staff leaving and I filled in the two days that were needed. After this had run its course, I stepped back into being a volunteer, where I found I was being asked to fix and mend stuff, if I was able to. A while into this, I was asked if I would become a member of staff as a maintenance/caretaker. I am able to apply the practical skills God has given me. God has a way of getting you where you need to be.

3. An interesting fact about yourself that we won’t know
I run Renew Swindon, a men’s shed, which is a place where people can come and do practical woodworking to help loneliness, isolation and mental wellbeing.

01/08/2026

Antique solid wood prie dieu chair, lovingly restored and traditionally re-upholstered by Swindon’s men’s shed project, Renew. All proceeds go towards keeping us going!
£250

15/07/2026

We thought we would share this post about Dawn, as also runs Renew along with her husband Kevin along with some dedicated volunteers.

This week we'd like to introduce you to our manager, Dawn. She oversees the team and makes sure everything runs smoothly😊

1. What drew you to work at the night Shelter?
Originally, this was through a conversation with the founder Becky and her husband about opening a community café once a week.

2. A brief personal testimony / history:
After launching the Gate community café once a week, at Goddard Park Primary school, this led to helping run their shop, called the Hub part-time, and running the kitchen and food donations part-time at their day centre in 2019.

In 2022, I attended a leader’s conference for my church and felt God spoke to me about taking over the leadership role at Swindon Night Shelter as the role had just become available. This is not something I had ever thought about as I already worked for my church part-time, fostered and run Swindon Men’s shed project, Renew with my husband. However, I was offered the position, handed my notice in at my church and took over fulltime in January 2023. There’s never a dull moment and feel that all the experiences I have had to date have led me to where I am now and I really love it here.

3. An interesting fact about yourself that we won’t know:
I love ballroom and latin dancing (although don’t have any time for it at the moment) and cooking dishes from around the world.

02/06/2026

What a wonderful renovation by one of our customers, Mandy Neate, using Scotch Mist trim paint and Frenchics wrap for the work surface. Why not transform your home at a fraction of the cost. Buy from www.renewswindon.org.uk and all profits go to helping with social isolation and preventing poor mental health

02/06/2026

Join us at the BusinessWise Open Networking Evening 2026 for a great evening of connections, conversation and community at Royal Wootton Bassett Rugby Club from 6.30pm.

The event will also feature guest speaker James Gwinnett, a communications consultant, author and motivational speaker, who will be sharing his story and insights during the evening. It’s a brilliant opportunity to meet like-minded people, grow your network and hear from an inspiring speaker.

On the night we will be proudly supporting our charity member with a raffle for RENEW and Swindon Night Shelter.

Book your tickets https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/businesswise-open-networking-evening-2026-tickets-1984705971989?

30/04/2026

27/04/2026

We now have these in stock!!
They are not on our website yet but you can visit us, message, ring or send an email and then collect or have them delivered (if local) 😃

🌟 NEW 🌟 Some colours are just too good to stay indoors… so we didn’t let them!! 👀

Meet our NEW 2026 Limited Edition Al Fresco shades! 🎨 FIVE of your all-time favourites, now ready to step outside and steal the show. Think front doors that turn heads, garden furniture you’ll never want to leave and little corners that feel so you.

🌿 Bradstock - soft mid-green, calm, confident, effortlessly cool
💛 Hot As Mustard - rich ochre bringing the spice to your space
💗 Macaroon - deliciously pink, pretty with a hint of fancy
🪴 Clay Pot - warm, earthy, pinkish red made for outdoor living
💚 On A Whim - creamy yellow meets limey green for fresh potting shed chic

Your garden just got a glow-up… and honestly? It’s about time. ☀️ Shop now!! https://frenchicpaint.co.uk/blogs/frenchic-world/al-fresco-limited-edition-colours-2026

Go on, tell us which is your favourite!!