This competition is not open to women to enter unless they are Shedders!
It’s a joke, but far from a joking matter really.
We, Stockton Men’s Shed (new one!) and Hartlepool Shed all received a very useful £1000 each from the Ballinger Trust.
They were impressed by the separate accounts of Men’s Sheds. In their experience (and ours) there is much less to do designed for men when they hit the buffers than women. Men do not open up on issues to other men.
So, the 3 Sheds have been asked to think out of the box – even the Shed box – and to think what else might help men who are at a loss.
CAN YOU HELP, Shedders by answering the following and passing your thoughts on.
- At the Shed I like:
- Conversation/banter/the social side
- Small projects & crafts I can do on my own
- Larger projects that involve working as a team
- Helping others with projects
- Supporting other Shedders in times of difficulty
- Taking the lead in projects
- Being creative with ideas
- Knowing what is going on outside the Shed (i.e. the network we have)
- Learning and doing things I’ve not done before
- Other (but tell us what!)10 items listed. You have 100 points to allocate amongst these statements in a kind of vote. Just allocate. Some might be zero, but make sure it adds up to 100!
- Could you complete this sentence: What the Shed has done for me is . . . . . .
- Non-Shed things men might want to do if they are feeling at a loss are:
- Repair things
- Write things
- Read things
- Puzzle things
- Do something technology based
- Help in the community
- Support an external charity that needs some practical work done.
- Run away to sea . . . .Just write what you think (other than the Shed) that men might welcome, particularly YOU!
- Anything else that you have heard of or seen that might be suitable (Scotty Dave, axe throwing should not be suggested!)
Some reminder sheets of this will be available at the Shed.
Anthony’s Garden ready for decking boards to be delivered Monday
Cavalry Kevin rode to the rescue and worked with Graham in a dry spell on Sunday to get everything prepared for the decking boards to arrive.
Finished woodwork, laid weed fabric, tossed down some stones to hold fabric in place, made a soakaway.
Kevin was sweating like a cavalry horse! Graham worked up wind of Kevin!
Here are some photos taken by Manager Val of the team at work last Saturday.
Craftsmanship and Graham’s backside
Paul, Dave, Kevin and Graham (Tony also on Friday evening
The frame in framed in Val’s viewfinder
Waiting Well programme
Received a phone call and a follow up email below [edited]
Good afternoon,
Further to our telephone call, we understand that you are a VCSE Contact for the Waiting Well Programme for the North Tees Area. We are unsure if you are aware of the Waiting Well Programme that is open within your area and would like to provide some further information.
The Fund is being run as a pilot project and its delivery will help to identify unmet needs and inform future priorities for support. Only organisations currently receiving referrals can apply for funding to help with their project costs, and those costs should relate to patients who have been referred by the Waiting Well Programme. To be eligible for support your patients must
- live in the top 20% of most deprived areas in the region and who are impacted by other issues such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, a high BMI or are struggling to reduce smoking
- or have a learning disability
- live in County Durham or Tees Valley.
The organisation must show evidence of a strong relationship with the referrer who will work within the NHS.
CDCF are managing the delivery of the fund on behalf of our local Waiting Well Practitioners. The fund is currently open for applications and will close on Friday 29th September. A link to the application form is included for your information https://www.cdcf.org.uk/nhs-waiting-well-fund/. CDCF are hosting a webinar which will discuss making an application to the fund on Thursday 7th September if you would like further advice about making an application, you are of course welcome to apply prior to this date. If you would like to attend the webinar please could you let us know and we will arrange to send you a link.
Whilst we would welcome your application, funding is not guaranteed.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Waiting Well Team
Apparently we came up on their radar somehow. It could be because we have helped a newcomer introduced by a hospital. Someone needing to Wait Well.
Anyway, we will work through the application form to see how it fits our situation and relationships. We will explore but helping people is more or less “us”
The link https://humberandnorthyorkshire.org.uk/the-waiting-well-programme/ shows Waiting Well in evolution two years ago as clinicians were introduced to it. It is about supporting people on the waiting list for surgery who need some distraction and an outside focus.
Anthony’s Deck Boards loosely in place with rainwater pipes for the Man Cave
Satisfying to see.
Morning has broken . . .
A very busy morning with no slack hands.
More progress on Anthony’s deck in the afternoon
Need to install drainage to underneath before completing the rest of the screwing down of planks. Time for Anthony and Graham to celebrate!
REMAP charity
Had contact with local REMAP which is a group of individuals who give skills and time to meet the needs of the disabled tor customised help.
It is organised just like the Sheds as a network of branches across the UK.
The intention is that a few local Shedders will meet with our contact Daniel to see whether there is any way that we can/should work with them – possibly helping make equipment.
Great to know it exists and also that in our area it is supported by “the old” ICI.
Back at the Shed ranch work began on planning the Man Cave based on the donated shed which will be enlarged.
Wednesday rain water pipes installed
Main deck now down. Fringe work remains, an hour of screwing down the deck boards
Thinking of building a bench seat on the left hand side to cover the rainwater pipes. Where the yellow spirit kevel is. Stones added io fill front trench ready for paving flags to go down.
Almost finally . . .
Graham’s Grandson Reuben pressed into service
Job done. Well slabs remain to be done.
Sheds are at the sharp end of being there when people welcome some support
But we are not THE solution. We are a part of solutions . Read this conclusion from an NHS study on creating innovation and it depends on a changed mind set.
Top tips for creating innovation in mental health provision
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Work to build relationships and understandings between all relevant partners. That doesn’t just mean between all parts of the healthcare system. It also means with the voluntary and community sector (to provide more holistic and person-centred care) with schools (to allow for better support for children and young people), with the police (often the emergency service that deals with those in extreme mental health crisis), with housing, and with patients and service users themselves.
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Ensure there is clear and strong leadership of any innovation. While it is important to have a range of bodies involved in projects, there ultimately needs to be clear leadership – and leadership which is empowered with authority and the ability to get ideas turned into reality.
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Make clear how any change will benefit partners. If leaders at an acute trust are aware that, for instance, a new service is liable to reduce unplanned attendances at accident and emergency for mental health crisis then it instantly becomes more relevant to them – and more likely to gain their support.
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