Always on
This project successfully funded on 19th January 2026, you can still support them with a donation.
Men in Sheds - Age UK Enfield
Enfield, Greater London, United Kingdom
Aim
We want to keep the Men in Sheds project running for years to come and keep bringing men together by tackling waste and using recycled wood.
What is the project?
Men in Sheds Enfield is a Free community-based project based at John Jackson Library in Enfield, which aims to improve the well-being and social connections of men in Enfield, particularly those who are retired or experiencing a life transition. Men in Sheds’ philosophy is all about combating social isolation and promoting mental well-being through carpentry.
The project provides a dedicated safe space two days a week where men can come together to engage in woodworking projects. Engaging in practical tasks together as a group has huge therapeutic benefits and fostering social connections is great for wellbeing, mental and physical health. We also support people in the early stages of dementia, the visually impaired and those who have suffered bereavement.
Our Story
The project started in January 2022 when we received one year’s funding from the London Community Foundation. We hired a shipping container, and Steve our Men in sheds co-ordinator kitted it out with tools and equipment, creating a fully functioning workshop on a tiny budget. We’ve now run the project for two years on a small amount of grant funding, but that runs out soon and we need your help to keep going! Over the years I have seen the group gain new carpentry skills, form new friendships, heard a great deal of laughter and seen a growing sense of belonging. We’ve had lots of people come and join the project over the years, and there’s now a regular crew of 40 people who meet weekly.
The Benefits
Men in Sheds offers a supportive environment where individuals can develop new skills in using basic tools and more specialised carpentry equipment, share knowledge, and work on personal or group projects, whilst keeping it light hearted and fun.
Creative re-use
The guys are incredibly resourceful, and often use waste wood and pallets in their work. They’ve used 2 Tonnes of recycled wood and over 150 pallets to create many innovative items, as well as using other discarded materials and recycled equipment in the process.
Some examples of what’s been made:
- Planters
- Bird Boxes
- Bug Hotels
- Bird Feeders
- Benches
- Candle holders
- Christmas Trees
- Chopping boards
(and much more…)
These finished pieces are used in the local community, for example - We have donated many Bird boxes and Swift bird boxes to country parks.
The Problem
We have funding from Awards for All to run the Men in Sheds project until April 2027, but each year we will have a shortfall of £10,000 and after that the future of the project is uncertain. These needed extra funds will also help towards our moving costs as we will have to vacate the John Jackson Library next year and move our shipping container and equipment to a new site in Enfield. We raise donations at events to support the project, but that alone is not enough.
To keep this fantastic project going, we need your help.
The Solution
With your help we can keep this fantastic project going. We have 6 weeks to raise as many donations as we can, which is essential to cover the cost of our coordinator and tutor, as well as the cost of new equipment and the upkeep of our tools.
Any donation you can make, big or small, is hugely helpful.
Please support us!
Rewards
That’s not all, we’re using our carpentry super powers to create great rewards for your support, the perfect something for the home, garden, gift idea, or just a little piece of Men In Sheds history! These are some of the items the men have created.
Thank you so much for your support, together we can keep this fantastic project going!
We are delighted to have just been nominated in the SELCO Community Heroes Competition and the project with the most public votes will be awarded £10,000. Another way you can help support this great project is to vote for us on SELCO Community heroes website. Please see link below:
https://www.selcobw.com/info/selco-community-hero
The final vote for our Community Heroes 2025 competition is now live.
Voters can place one vote per day. Additional votes will not be counted. Voting closes Sunday 14 December at 23:59pm.
For any more information, please do get in touch, or arrange to come and visit on the days that we’re open.
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 07824 845 784
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made