The Men’s Shed concept was an Australian initiative from very humble beginnings; the idea has now spread internationally with Men’s Shed Associations operated by health authorities and other entities in Ireland, UK, New Zealand, Canada, US, Kenya, and South Africa. Photo Brisbane 2011.
Sheds started in Australia. The first in South Australia in 1993. Initiated by a woman, in fact, for men. for men’s wellbeing The Australian Men’s Shed Association founded in 2007, as the benefits of Men’s Sheds for men’s wellbeing spread from town to town. Such a simple principle.
The guru on the Shed story is Barry Goldring, an academic but one with his feet on the ground! In 2015 he published a book describing the progress and outcomes of Sheds. Shed stories. This year it was updated, but still stops at 2015. You can browse the .pdf here.
Sheds had already started to find their way to other parts of the world, including the UK. But they found their way to other countries. The internationalisation story was told in a sequel published by Barry Goldring in 2021 entitled “Shoulder to Shoulder” in which Whitby Sheds featured in a couple of sections, including one on She Shed experiences. Read the .pdf below.
Since 2018 we have had strong links with Len in Labrador Shed on the Gold Coast. He was on the Australian Men’s Shed Association Board for a few years. We came across Len and wife Ros by chance in Whitby at a garden centre café. That launched 8 years of friendship and collaboration.
There’s a great deal of info provided by Macmillan Cancer support.
Here’s one entitled “Just been diagnosed?)