I've raised £20000 to create a permanent home for the Bath Shed.
Organised by Martin Sharratt
Story
What is the Bath Shed?
Sheds are community spaces for people over 50yrs to connect, converse and create. The activities are often similar to those of garden sheds, but for groups of people to enjoy together.
It’s well known that retirement brings significant changes to people’s lives; it can bring loss of social circles and as a result cause loneliness and isolation. This is particularly the case for men but can affect women as well. There is little on offer for older people in Bath and many who live alone are missing connection with their communities. The Shed enables members to experience all kinds of practical and creative activities ranging across woodwork, mechanics and electronics and it provides an environment where members can work on projects with other members, acquire new skills or just drop in for a cuppa and chat.
Sheds are a great place to learn new practical skills and develop friendships in a supportive space, allowing people to remain independent, whilst carrying out meaningful practical activities to benefit the local community.
What do we need to make it happen?
We have been looking for a permanent base in the city since 2019. We have spent the last year occupying a workshop in St John’s Foundation in the centre of Bath. We have however been served notice to vacate the premises by Christmas 2023. We are working hard to have a space we can move into at Bath City Farm by the end of year. The build will occur in phases, though we would like to have the building finished by Spring 2024.
We have worked with local architecture practice Designscape to come up with a building that is affordable, practical and can be built with the help of volunteers. We have achieved planning permission for the design and the proposed site has been cleared ready to start the groundworks.
We have currently raised £35,000 towards our target of £48,000 and we are asking for contributions to help us achieve our goal of creating a permanent home for the Bath Shed at Bath City Farm.
