Making a Man Shed to Combat Social Isolation

Aim: We want isolated men to join us for activities, support & laughs so they gain a renewed sense of purpose, belonging & well-being

Help to support lonely & isolated men

We are Sedbergh Youth & Community Centre, a registered charity serving  the local community since 1906 and providing activities, resources & support for all ages and abilities.

Never has it been more apparent how loneliness impacts on mental health. 

Men find it harder than women to build social connections and once retired it can feel that personal identity and purpose has been lost.

A Man Shed can help build those social connections and forge new friendships - they can go a long way towards improving health & happiness - reduce loneliness and even save lives. 

“When I first came [to Sedbergh] I was isolated and a loner. [Coming to Sedbergh] gets me out of the house and [is a] time to talk and meet others.” – Male Client

Help us to Make a Man Shed to serve more isolated men in the community..

Recently we have seen a keen interest from male clients to form a Man Shed type activity. So we held a taster session and gained a few more men who wanted to get involved.

"I thoroughly enjoy the man shed as since I retired I missed the comradery with the men I worked with ." - Man Shed Client

Since then they have been meeting up on a regular basis to see how they can make the group work. Their enthusiasm is contagious and they are already making plans for some DIY sessions in the near future but we need some help to really get the project started. 

"I think Man Shed is a great opportunity to come together and do several great things for the community!" - Man Shed Client

We want to crowdfund to really get the project started! 

At the moment we are using a dedicated space at our community centre but want to raise £1,000 to really get the project started! The funds will help to:

• Keep the Man Shed warm by paying for heating for one whole year
• Provide refreshments for the Man Shed for one whole year
• Develop the project out to more men who may be isolated or lonely

We want to commit to this and get to work at expanding the project out to more isolated and lonely men in the area. To do this we want to be able to provide hot drinks/snacks plus make a contribution towards utilities for the year. A proportion of the funding will go towards paying for a development worker to expand and reach out to more men in the area, of all ages and abilities, who will benefit from meeting up for hobbies, chat and support.

Why we believe in Making a Man Shed

Apart from all the positives already mentioned, we have a great space and social hub at our centre that we are very proud of. We know there is interest for the Man Shed so now want to reach out to those who want to try something new and beneficial - but this will take time and resources.

We have 20,000 people through the doors each year and a fantastic network of clients and partners who will help us to achieve our goals.

We are a unique community resource offering person orientated services rather than just a one-service-fits-all. We will go that extra mile to help someone achieve their objectives and refer them to other organisations if we can't help. 

"...Sedbergh staff think outside the box and plan services around the needs of different groups in the community. [They] are brave in willing to try develop new services as well as maintain and improve those services they provide regularly to many groups within the community." - Forget me not Hospice

In the long-term we want to create a familiar & exciting space for men to get together and expand the project out to more men who may be lonely & isolated. We want to improve men's mental health, physical health & overall well-being; help them upskill or get a new hobby and build a sense of community to help men feel good about themselves.

"...a very good outing...[the] only time I get out." - Male Client

This could be the first step for men to get back into the community, get involved and be a part of something bigger!

The Sedbergh  Youth & Community Centre has been around for over a hundred years and many times we have seen that anything is possible once like-minded individuals get together and share skills. 

Rewards for you

We are very grateful for any amount you can donate as it will all go towards making this very important project happen! However, we are offering a selection of rewards for donations from £5 to £1000 so it's easier for everyone to contribute. 

Reward Examples:

£15 will pay for all the refreshments and heating for one Man Shed session and for this you will receive a proud entry in our supporters log-book for everyone who attends to see. 

£1,000 will pay for a years' supply of refreshments and heating for the Man Shed sessions plus funding towards development work to expand the project out to more lonely and isolated men. This donation amount offers a platinum reward!