Organised by Story
On Saturday 29 June Norwich Men’s Shed Member Adie Downing is leading a sponsored walk along the Marriot’s Way from our workshops on Pitt Street to Reepham. Adie joined us when he was struggling with his own mental health and looking for support. Now a long-term and valued member, Adie is an ambassador of Norwich Men’s Shed, and is always keen to promote the benefits of shedding.
Norwich Men's Shed was founded by local men’s charity MensCraft in 2013 and became an independent CIO in 2017, evidencing a 10-year history of supporting men in the local community. Over the years, Norwich Men’s Shed has grown from a small club with a handful of members into a popular, respected and well-known local charity that actively works with other charities and community projects in the area.
Our workshop activities are member-led and mainly based around woodworking skills. Members describe the making activities as therapeutic – a way to switch off from daily worries and de-stress. And while many men initially become members for the woodworking activity, they soon find that friendship and companionship become their predominant reasons for continued attendance. Bonding over a workshop activity, our members often share in-depth personal experiences and offer practical and emotional peer support and mentoring.
There are around 1000 Sheds in the UK, but we all operate independently. As an urban Shed our costs are higher than most - our members work hard to raise funds themselves and currently generate 30% of our annual turnover through membership fees and making items to sell or working on bespoke commissions. We have skilled craftsmen who will make the benches, but we need your help to fund the materials to do so.