Mens Shed

[Simon Neath 2Participant @simonneath2]

Our club like I am sure many others is looking at ways of increasing its membership. One option we are looking at is to join Men’s Shed. We have spoken with them, and they are happy for us to join, and it works geographically with other local Shed’s. We still need work through some of the details of how it will work for us. Have any other clubs considered or joined MS and if so how did it work for you.

Thanks Simon

[john fletcher 1Participant @johnfletcher1]

Hello Simon, I’ve been the metal working tutor at our local ‘MATES’, (sounds posh) for about 3 years, I give what I think is safe tuition to those who would like to use the Super 7 with PCF and G/box and large bench top mill, all donated from a long time friend of mine.

‘MATES’, not quite the same of an exclusive ME club, but I think its mutually beneficial. I find ‘MATES’ a nice bunch of people, I look forward to going, good to be useful, the place is very clean, tidy and warm. Tea/coffee available, therefore not a lot actually gets done, so very similar to an ME club. I’m sure you won’t have any regrets linking up. At the local venue, there is pottery, a wheel and kiln, painting, wood turning, pyro techniques and lots of talking taking place, so a lot going on. John

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I emailed our local men’s shed via the link on their website. Didn’t even get the courtesy of a reply.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Duncan, It may be the email is out of date, or the admin has changed or they just don’t get round to looking at it very often. The shed, like an ME club, can be full of people who don’t really get on with modern tech. See if you can find out where it is and GO THERE.

The key purpose of a shed is social interaction underlying the more obvious purpose of having access to equipment and space for making things. Many ME clubs (and sports, golf, allotment, knitting, art clubs) operate like this depending on what sort of facilities they have at their club house – the people are the same just the reason for being there is different.
Sheds are all different. At mine now entering its tenth year you turn up when you like, leave when you like, and mix in with projects as you like. You can help one of the community projects or make your own whatever. We only have woodwork equipment at the moment owing to lack of space and small size in a rural community but do have all sorts of interests.
There is a small voluntary donation to cover the vast quantities of tea we consume. It is a very social organisation and has been a great help in getting people out of their house and meeting people from other villages as rural life can be rather insular. We are a registered charity and cater for some people with restrictions as we even have a wheelchair equipped bus. We have regular interactions with our local Mayor and were visited by our MP when he was a cabinet minister and we wanted help getting planning permission, not being used as a photo op for him.

However I hear of other sheds where you just pay a fee and have to book a bench space to do your own job almost in isolation. In another shed I heard they just play dominos. In big city sheds they have lots of members and lots of equipment and can cover metal as well as wood. You can also use a shed as a chance to meet some people to see if they are interested in forming an ME club.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

What Bazyle describes is just what we have been invited to help with, when the promised lathe and pillar drill finally arrive.

My hope is that having used a machine, and acquired skill, together with having something to show for their activity will improve self esteem and confidence for the participants, as well as the social interaction. (Which is the object of the charity)

Howard

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

It’s a good idea but beset with all kinds of issues in the ones I have seen.

It’s great to have a space to share a cuppa and feel a connection if you’re lonely etc.

But I found the usual personality issues that pop up in many group environments and so I prefer to stay in my own shop.

I did set up a workshop within a local stately home where I volunteered to do engineering work, making parts for all manner of period items and even repairing modern equipment.  I brought in a lot of machine tooling from home, reasoning that I’d be able to work on both restoration and my own projects. My only stipulation was that I would have control over the shop as it was my machinery and some of the volunteers were, shall we say, less than careful with tools. This was acceptable until it wasn’t, everyone wanted to play in this new and exciting shop (which they could have built but chose not to). When my tools started to get broken or left filthy or got lost I parted company with the house and returned to the peace of my own place.

It’s also very hard to properly support the issues that some people have. We run a community garden and our council brought a young man to help out.  He has numerous learning and socialising issues but we were told he would be supported by a council staff worker. He was, for one day,  now we are left to try and manage his complex needs which test the patience of everyone.

[Dod MoleParticipant @georgeclarihew]

All the above issues mentioned in the above posts are present in the Shed what I attend 3 times a week   ( lack of IT skills, tool abuse and misuse, lack of interpersonal skills, how strong to make the tea/coffee and the choice of biscuits the state of football, golf, cricket, the local council, the guvmint, an orange painted politician and everything we can think of etc) but most of us enjoy participating so its just like this Forum.

Best to use the like it or lump it mentality and get on with life ‘cos we all are getting closer to being dead daily.

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

Our local council is providing a new maker space facility in Sutton in Ashfield Nottinghamshire which will provide many different sections including Metal working which has a Chester lathe and milling machine as well as welding drilling and many other tooling etc. The same for woodworking, 3D printing, sewing, pottery and embroidery plus many thing in between. This is open to anyone who wishes to join and should open this April.

David

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

I have a friend who has visited one not too far from me and he says he’s never seen so many abused tools. also seems to be bird tables and bird boxes.

[bernard towers]

On bernard towers Said:

I have a friend who has visited one not too far from me and he says he’s never seen so many abused tools. also seems to be bird tables and bird boxes.

Perhaps Neil should surreptitiously donate the occasional copy of ME&W

… show ‘em  what they’re missing.

MichaelG.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Back to the OP’s original point about wanting to increase membership. One problem is tht both organisations will be wanting to recruit and extract a membership subscription. The better option would be one club with various sub-sections, which can also incorporate model railways, boats etc if there are no other clubs.
I am a member of two ME clubs that are quite different in operation. One has a track without public running but no clubhouse so only one social meeting a month in the evening at a Church Hall, and also the club incorporates model boats thus increasing membership scope. This doesn’t suit people who give up driving at night but is better for non retired people and juniors if not too late. This venue obviously cannot accommodate Men’s Shed construction activity.
There are two official track days per month and lakeside gatherings but with no electricity or clubhouse again no workshop opportunities. Track meetings are now Sunday afternoon to avoid Saturday shopping duties, allow for Churchgoers and lie-ins, avoid the rush off to lunch, and weekends allow for non-retired and school attendance. With no public running allowed we have to have an annual exhibition to raise money.

The other ME club has a track with clubhouse so can meet on two weekdays every week and have one evening meeting a month and a weekly workshop training session and one Sunday a month public running to raise funds. Note: those who whinge about clubs spending time running trains please come up with an easy fun way to raise money to fund the club’s other facilities. Unfortunately for me this club is 25 miles away so travel costs limit my attendance.

Both ME clubs draw members from up to 25 miles away though mostly rather less distance.

Finally the Men’s Shed just into its tenth year is only 3 miles away so easy to get to. It meets on 2 weekdays and Saturday so available as a nice social hub for both retired and working locals. The Community Garden club on the same site operates on the other days so provides both another opportunity but also restrictions on operating the Shed. The most regular attendees are local with the catchment up to 10 miles but now there are 3 more sheds at about that distance so no need to travel far. New one starts this Thursday at Moretonhampstead.

With all of these clubs the biggest problems are always finding premises and then the finance. Industrial towns seem to do far better on both counts.

 

[Simon Neath 2Participant @simonneath2]

Thanks all for your replies some interesting points to consider

 

Simon

[modeng2000Participant @modeng2000]

I have just returned from visiting my local Men’s Shed  having donated some tooling that I can nolonger use.

I was really impressed by the facilities and the members. Everyone was friendly, not quite what I was expecting.

They are prepared to use their laser cutter/3D printers to make items for folk even though they may not be members. Overall, I was suitably pleased with what I found.

John

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