New Home for Norwich Men's Shed

Aim

We're relocating our workshops to new premises with long-term prospects, meaning we can support the wellbeing of men for many years to come.

Norwich Men’s Shed offers a community workshop environment for men to socialise and learn new skills, addressing key issues around wellbeing, social isolation and loneliness. We support 100+ men each year, with 60+ active members at any one time. Established in 2013, we have 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.

Our current premises have served us well for many years, but we are situated on the Anglia Square redevelopment site and our lease has a one-month notice period. Demolition was originally scheduled for earlier this year – we were granted a temporary reprieve when the developer pulled out of the sale, but we are always on edge, expecting our lease to end at any point.   

We are moving to a nearby former church building with a 10-year lease – planning has been approved and we are now finalising the lease with Norwich Historic Churches Trust. Set-up of a long-term workshop will bring a feeling of security and help futureproof our charitable offering. Additionally, the single level workshop layout with accessible toilet facilities will expand our reach to those who cannot attend at our current premises, including wheelchair users.

Total cost of the move from the planning stage, through to final set-up is circa £20k – we have raised some funds already, but have a shortfall of £5k. There is no operational heating at the new premises, and we will need to install this alongside improving the lighting to create a safe workshop environment. We hope to move-in in October, and this stage of work needs to be completed for us to operate through the winter months. 

“Shedding” is a grassroots movement; meaning each Shed is set up by and for their community and operates independently. Based in central Norwich, our location is crucial to ensuring maximum accessibility to all residents, but, as an urban Shed, our costs are higher than most. We need the community backing to help us with this exciting move to (what we hope will become) our “forever home”.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made