We are starting up a Men’s Shed in the Midsomer Norton area. Once set up, we intend to open it one day a week for four to five hours. It will be set up as a registered charity.

At its core, a Men’s Shed is a positive health measure. As people live longer and hope to remain fit and able, they need something to keep them active; physically and mentally. A big part of this is social interaction. Get them involved and it results in keeping them healthier. The Shed is where men (and women are welcome too), come to take part in physical and mental activity to benefit themselves and the community, interact socially and have a laugh. It is a positive health measure.

“Men don’t talk face to face; they work shoulder to shoulder.”

It is difficult to get men involved in groups; women form the backbone of most community activities and initiatives. Many men enjoy using their own shed, where they repair or tinker with machinery, or build things on their own. However, where there are groups where men are the majority (wood turners, for example), they get ideas from each other and inspire each other. This is the concept of the Men’s Shed – you have a communal shed that can be a centre for many activities that appeal to men (and women!).

The Australians had the original concept. Following their initial success, they built 900 Sheds in the next twelve years. The Australian government has recognised the mental health benefits of Men’s Sheds and now provides them with funding from the savings made from the reduced calls on their health service.

Before we can start asking for members, we need to find some premises to act as the shed. Ideally, the premises should have toilets and running water to fill a kettle (which is regarded as the most important tool in the shed!). Preferably, it should be somewhere that we can just leave and lock up until the next session.

If you know of any premises that are available, are interested in helping with the start up, or in joining the Midsomer Norton Men’s Shed, please contact Richard Jordan on: 07818 420685.