UK Men’s Sheds Association

We provide support and guidance to individuals and groups across the UK in starting and managing Men’s Sheds. We raise awareness of the social and health benefits of Men’s Sheds in reducing isolation, loneliness and in empowering local communities. We support the growth of Men’s Sheds by:

• Promoting the Men’s Sheds movement so as many people as possible know about them. We want Men’s Sheds to be a household name so that every man knows what they are and how to find one.
• Promoting individual Men’s Sheds to help put interested members of the community in touch with their nearest Men’s Shed. We do this by maintaining an up-to-date map of UK Sheds on our website, through social and print media and by forwarding enquiries to the relevant local Shed groups and attracting support for member Sheds.
• Providing advice and guidance on starting up and running a shed to help grow the number of UK Men’s Sheds. We do this by providing practical information guides, example documents and toolkits on topics such as registering as a charity, insurance, funding, sourcing equipment and venues, and volunteer recruitment. We provide telephone, email and in-person support to individuals and groups wanting to start a Men’s Shed. We equip them with the knowledge to develop and sustain a thriving Men’s Shed in their community for years to come.
• Training volunteer Ambassadors with experience of starting their own Men’s Sheds to mentor and guide like-minded individuals and groups in starting and managing Men’s Sheds across the UK.
• Holding networking events to connect men from different Men’s Sheds across the UK. Here they can share experiences, knowledge and skills, and make friends for life with others who share interests and a common purpose.

We raise awareness of Men’s Sheds and their many benefits by:

• Talking about the social and health benefits of Men’s Sheds in reducing isolation and empowering local communities. We do this through various communication channels, including public events, online and in the media.
• Representing our members and the UK Men’s Shed movement at a local, national and international level. We do this by liaising with organisations, government authorities, companies, other Men’s Shed associations and related charities, to help develop partnerships, generate funding opportunities and negotiate sponsorship deals to deliver real value to our Member Sheds.