Message from Rachel Meadows of UK Men’s Shed Association
[When people ask “What do we get for our membership fee to UK MSA?” Rachel is a noted part of that. Always a willing horse who helps us and who appreciates any help (and publicity) from us.]
Hi all,
Just to alert you to some new videos that we have on our YouTube page.
A year or so ago we got some funding for some videos to be produced around various topics related to mental health. Our Health and Wellbeing group helped to choose these topics and input ideas about format. The videos were then created with support from Broadstairs Shed and some of their Shedders. We were also able to include some of our partners with expertise in each topic in each video. These videos are a great resource and show the difference Sheds can make by hearing from real Shedders. Please share or use in any talks/comms or promotion if needed.
The video links are:
bereavement
loneliness
suicide
Thanks,
Rachel Meadows
Volunteer and Community Development Manager
UK Men’s Sheds Association
Email – rachel.meadows@ukmsa.org.uk
Phone – 07399001907
Graham is cruising the High Seas. A lot to do or at least see.
On cruise ships there are lots of lonely and isolated people who come to try to meet others for company. More than once Graham has suggested to cruise lines that they might offer a Men’s Shed to interest the men on their own or the men in tow of women!
On day 3 of the cruise Graham ventured out to see life on Deck 7 and found some Shed-like activities going on. The kind of thinks that could be done at the new Norton Doing Place in planning for early 2024.
First, an interview with Aussie Denis about Sheds. Graham met another Aussie Denis the previous day who had never heard of Sheds! His wife had, though. Now Denis knows all about Sheds!
This Denis has a Shed on his to do list and his wife seemed quite pleased with that prospect.
Then Graham came across a games centre. Not just slot machines but old fashioned board games and jig saws. Those are planned for Norton Doing Place too.
Take a look.
We will not be offering roundabout horses to sit on at Norton Doing Place but the various past times in the games area on board clearly create quite a bit of social interaction. For the already connected as well as those hoping to be.
There is a giant colouring wall that took Graham’s eye. Operated by a crew member from New York who has an interest in fine arts! This is rather like a communal jigsaw.
So what’s the point of it? Watch on.
So a communal mural for Norton Doing Place maybe?
Graham researched the artist and there are some free downloads as below. Vistaprint can produce the print on fabric. We can purchase fabric paints. It’s an interesting stress buster for individuals. Graham will approach the artist online for permission to use one of the floral downloads in the .pdf below.
Coloring_FloralsSOME REALLY GOOD NEWS
We have just received news that Norton Men’s Shed has been awarded a grant through Durham Community Foundation from NHS Waiting Well programme.
It will allow us to work on Norton Doing Place on a Monday morning using the Friends Meeting House on the Green. A comfortable venue with some good facilities for those more sedentary but still needing to do something.
It is an interesting combination of what the voluntary can offer to benefit those “waiting” for next steps in secondary care. It is what Norton Shed does for some of those involved with primary care (and the Social Prescribing Link Workers).
This is all part of a programme for NHS Mental Health Transformation that is intentionally reaching out to the voluntary sector for “ways of joint working”.
It is described as a prototype project from which learning will come for all sides. It is change for all but a change that we can see has possibilities to be welcomed. The Shed model of working has much to offer as our Aussie cousins know from their much longer experience.
The Waiting Well programme is one that requires us all to learn about each other pressure points (NHS has them but so does the voluntary sector). Our hope is that we can together build confidence and trust that means streamlined ways of working can be found without undue bureaucracy whilst safeguarding people’s interests.
We have two NHS part funded projects now happening in Whitby district. The Whitby Doing Place and the Buddy Light project (the latter another prototype inspired by the Shed model but with volunteers working with Social Prescribing Link Workers (and similar) as buddies to help patients work through social prescriptions.
Something about monkeys
Graham and Joan joined the monkeys on Bali. 100, 000 apparently.
Graham reflected that evening on how similar Shedders in Sheds are to monkeys in troops. No rudeness in this honestly but something quite positive about the way a troop or a Shed functions. Both are social units.
The maquette monkeys Graham met seemed to be quietly content to eat on monkey nuts (!) as they mover about in the heat with no apparent work to do other than to entertain tourists!
A guide pointed out that they were all individuals. Some to be wary of and not touch (or even stare at) whilst others could be approached. Watch mothers with young who are very protective of them and Big Daddy is never that far away if anything out of the normal happens.
They are a family. To the casual observer (me) its not that easy to see how it all works. Why do squabbles not break out? (perhaps they do!). There seems to be the unwritten law of the jungle that all contribute to the stability and sustainability of the troop and have a role in passing on the codes of acceptable behaviour to future generations.
There is Troop leadership but it exists not just in a top down top dog way but infiltrates at all levels. They all live together to survive together.
Not at all realistic.
In modern Western societies there are much looser family ties of geography than there used to be. Our families get split up (hence Graham’s Aussie son!).
SHEDs bring back a bit of the family structure to life. Leadership (Graham would say) not coming from a “committee” but from across the Shed profile. Different personalities, skills, aptitudes, strengths, weaknesses etc. But being brought to bear from within nit from top down. All feeling a responsibility to the next generation of monkeys (I mean Shedders). That also means adopting change for the good of all when change may not be what I’m keen on!!
The Men’s Shed remains the central concept to the operation and the benefits it provides for those interested in a “workshop”. The Sheds here and in North Yorkshire also look to expand the net to include people with different interests – and women too! Hence the importance of the Doing Place concept. The benefits of a Shed reaching not just Shedders but Doers!