The Men's Shed - Make, mend and mugs of tea
About the Men's Shed
The Age Concern Men’s Shed: A Social Club with Tools.
The Men’s Shed is a unique social club for seniors, with a well-equipped and supervised workshop space. It caters to our practical and hands-on members, allowing them to work on personal or group projects at their own pace. The primary goal of the Men’s Shed is to enhance mental wellbeing, reduce loneliness, and combat social isolation, especially among local retired men.
Our workshop is well-equipped for woodworking projects, whether it’s creating something new, repairing or restoring an item, or repurposing materials into something entirely different. Members often bring their own projects to work on, or they can participate in group activities such as building bat or bird boxes, mud kitchens, and Christmas decorations. These items are usually sold through the Age Concern shop to raise funds for the charity.
The Men’s Shed is a place where members can utilize and share their practical skills and knowledge, make social connections, talk, laugh, regain a sense of purpose, and enjoy the pride and satisfaction of creating something. And of course, there’s always plenty of tea and coffee.
Frequently Asked Questions
What days and times is the Men's Shed open? The Age Concern Men's Shed is open 3 mornings a week. Monday to Wednesday 9am to 1pm
What are the costs? There is no charge to attend each Men's Shed session, however, there is an annual Age Concern MRR membership fee, currently £30.00 per year. There will be a small charge made for any timber and/or consumables used for personal projects, however this does not apply for any items made for Age Concern MRR fund raising events.
I am interested in becoming a member. What are the next steps? That's great news. The first step is to get in touch. If, after the initial conversation, you would like to move forward we can arrange a couple of taster sessions before committing to full membership. Various forms, policies, safety and induction check lists will be completed over the first few full sessions.
Is there a minimum age for membership? The official minimum age for membership of Age Concern MRR is 55 however most Men's Shed members are aged 60 and above.
Can women join the Men's Shed? Unfortunately not (at the moment). This is something we have discussed with our members, however there are some strong opinions that allowing female members would change the dynamic of the group preventing some members from talking freely or opening up about issues they may be experiencing. We will regularly revisit this policy with the aim of maybe nominating one day a week as a mixed session so members can choose sessions that work best for them.
I'd love to learn woodworking. Can I join the Men's Shed? Unfortunately we are unable to offer woodworking tuition. The Men's Shed is a supervised workshop for people with existing good woodworking skills. The charity does not have the resources to offer training sessions for woodworking novices.
If you have any other questions please get in touch
Interested in Donating to the Men's Shed?
We would love to hear from you if you are interested in making a donation to the Age Concern Men’s Shed. Through donating you can become part of something very special. There are several ways you can support the Men’s Shed, whether you are having a shed or garage clear-out, would like to make a financial donation, or if you are able to add any of our wish list items to your Amazon basket during an online shop. A big thank you for even considering it. We at Age Concern MRR are incredibly grateful for all the donations we receive
Timber:
We use a fair amount of it so are always on the lookout for timber materials in good condition, especially planned timber and sheet material. If you have any surplus timber please let us know.
Tools:
We will consider any spare or unwanted tools you might have, either hand tools or working power tools. If we cannot use it ourselves, we may be able to offer it to other men’s sheds or similar non-profit organisations in the region. Any tools we can’t find a home for we may sell and use the funds. Please let us know what you have available.
Bits and Bobs:
Screws, nuts and bolts, brackets, threaded rod, drill bits, sandpaper and other accumulated shed/workshop treasures (some would say detritus) – we are interested in it all and happy to take a look. Let us know the details.
Financial Donation:
If you are able to make a financial donation that would be amazing. Through our donation page it is easy to setup and make either a one-off or regular financial donation. Your support really will make a difference.
£10 is enough to purchase a box of screws or a roll of sandpaper
£20 will pay for timber to build two bird houses or a pot of paint
£50 will purchase a sheet of plywood or a set of blanks for woodturning
Amazon Wishlist:
COMING SOON
 Timber |
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 Image by Chris Yates |
 Hardware Tools |
 IMG20240626113256 |
 British Pound Coins |
 Amazon logo |
Contact the Men's Shed
If you have any questions or comments, if you or someone you know is interested in becoming a Men's Shed member, or if would like to discuss a donation, please do not hesitate in getting in touch.
01737 645636
Call Age Concern MRR and ask to speak to Scott - the Men's Shed Manager.
You may need to leave a message.
Or alternatively send an email
message direct to the Shed.