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Men’s sheds

Introduction

There are over 1,100 community sheds across the UK. They are community spaces where (mostly) men build home and garden items like bird boxes, repair electronics, or create ornaments.

Here we share learning from the hundreds of men’s sheds we’ve funded across the UK. And we share evidence of their impact on those who use them.

Why this matters

Around 33,000 people access a men’s shed each week. They are particularly popular with older men, who are often less likely to join other social groups. Sheds can help people open up by creating space for casual conversation while doing something purposeful.

We’ve seen that they can have a particularly big impact on participants’ social networks. Evidence from Action Mental Health’s sheds in Downpatrick, Antrim, and Enniskillen suggests that participants make an average of 13 new friendships each.

Sheds can support wider wellbeing too. At Men’s Sheds Cymru, 9 out of 10 members say they “feel better” since joining.

Some use well-known research tools to understand their impact on members. The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale measures changes in wellbeing before and after being part of a shed for 6 months or more. Age UK Cheshire found that 100% of surveyed men had better wellbeing after 6 months.

Men’s sheds can also help people live physically healthier lives – both through increased activity and by encouraging members to take greater care of their health.

Typically, at least half of the members feel a greater sense of belonging or being a more active part of their community as a result of taking part.

What we've learned

Community‑led insights

We’ve learned 6 key lessons from supporting men’s sheds across the UK.

The importance of offering the right activities

Shedders, as participants are sometimes known, like doing something that feels productive. We’ve found that there are different ways to make sure sheds offer the right activities.

Taking ideas and suggestions from members

Some might like to take part in pre-planned sessions, while others prefer working on their own projects at their own pace. When participants follow their own interests, it increases engagement, and gives them ownership.

Considering purposeful, skill-based activities

Age Scotland’s shedders said their top 3 reasons for joining were to learn new skills, put their skills to use, and help the community.

Giving chances to give back

Especially for older men, sharing skills is great for a renewed sense of purpose after retirement. Some sheds organise multi-generational sessions, recognising that different generations can teach different skills to one another.

“[For me, being part of the shed means] a sense of belonging and community and getting out of the house to help others.” Armagh Men’s Shed participant

Making friends, making connections

Men are more likely to be socially isolated than women. Sheds can help by offering connection and a space to talk. For many, the most important benefit is not what they create or mend, but the relationships they build with others.

Here is what we’ve learned about building supportive friendships:

  • not forcing conversations. Some participants are more likely to build relationships while building a window box planter for a local school rather than “sitting around drinking coffee,” as one put it

  • connecting the shed with what’s going on locally. Research suggests that social connections help to improve wellbeing and reduce the impact of challenging life situations. In Armagh, 97% of shed members feel more involved in the community as a result of taking part. This is explained by the close collaboration with 7 local schools and 17 churches and charities

  • being mindful of caring responsibilities. Time in a shed gives some participants a rare break. As one put it, “I needed to meet other people for social and companionship as I am my wife’s carer and don’t have much alone time.” Since time is precious, they might have specific ideas about how they’d like to use it at the shed

“I have made around 22 new friends who I would never have met but for the men’s shed.” Shed participant, Scotland

Promoting better health

Sheds can help improve members’ physical health.

Just coming along can lead to increases in physical activity. Scottish studies found that between 32% and 85% of shedders were more active as a result of being involved in a men’s shed. 

The relaxed atmosphere can make sheds a good place to seek or offer health advice. Some have invited nurses to speak about diabetes, others have ran conversations about conditions specific to men, such as prostate and testicular cancer. Armagh Men’s Shed has offered blood pressure and weight checks and hosted talks on hearing loss.

Supporting the right level of physical activity. Given the age cohort and the level of long-term health conditions among participants (sometimes 1 in 4), it’s important to offer options at different levels.

Offering basic health and safety training to members. We’ve awarded grants to many sheds to cover the cost of safety and equipment training.

“Coming to the Shed it makes you feel better, it makes you want to do things, you have more energy and want to do stuff. And that’s part of looking after yourself as well, trying to do some more exercise.” Shed participant, Scotland

Getting the environment right

The most popular men’s sheds have an atmosphere that’s casual, comfortable and familiar. We hear that, for some men, it’s easier to open up about personal issues in this environment than it would be in other settings like GPs or support groups.

The following ideas help create an informal and inclusive atmosphere.

Keeping it casual

Many sheds raise money by selling the items they make, but there are risks – particularly if this is the shed’s major source of income. The need to make sales can make the activities feel like a chore, or even cause stress. It’s important to make sure nobody is trying to do more than they can manage.

Making it physically comfortable

Seating is particularly important for people with health conditions or mobility issues that fluctuate, meaning that on some days practical work is possible and on other days they need to take it easy. We supported Bethesda Neyland Men’s Shed to introduce wheelchair friendly seating, so that everyone could take part.

Keeping it cosy

Evidence suggests that keeping warm is particularly important for people over the age of 65, or who have medical conditions. The Wee County Men’s Shed in Clackmannanshire found that older members were staying longer at the Shed, avoiding putting the heating on at home. We awarded a grant of £6,000 to help the group extend its opening hours and keep the space warm.

Ensuring everybody can find and access the shed

This could mean step-free access for wheelchair users and those with limited mobility, or improved support for people with dementia. We awarded £10,000 to make Barnsley Men’s Shed dementia-friendly. Volunteers received training, put up clear signage, and rearranged the workspace to create a quiet area.

“It’s the people that make the place… the most important thing is the kettle.” Armagh Men’s Shed participant

Recruiting participants

There are many ways to spread the word about community sheds.

Promoting sheds in places where local men go

That could mean schools, sports venues, supermarkets, village halls, doctors’ surgeries, pubs, working men’s clubs, barbers, or churches, temples, and mosques. It helps to market the shed to the families of potential members: some dads, husbands, or brothers might need encouragement to join.

Holding open days to encourage people to visit the shed and learn what is on offer

Targeted sessions can reach specific groups of men. Church Crookham and Fleet Men’s Shed found that potential members were sometimes intimidated by the crowds of people at its open days. This shed knew there was a significant local ex-military population, and wanted to involve more veterans. Partnering with the Royal British Legion and Armed Forces Connect, it used a small National Lottery grant to hold open days just for veterans.

Helping the wider community

Shedders could build plant boxes for a community centre, or paint fences for a local school – with the double benefit of spreading the word and showing practical support for other organisations.

Scheduling sessions to reach different audiences

Men in their 50s and early 60s may be unable to attend weekday activities during working hours – but the same sessions could be attractive to men who are retired.

“I thoroughly enjoy the company and like learning new skills and learning new things I thought I wasn’t capable of.” Armagh Men’s Shed member

Men-only and mixed-sex sheds

Evidence suggests that men-only spaces are beneficial and wanted. Stereotypes and stigma may still make men feel that they have to mask their vulnerabilities, especially in front of women.

Jason Schroeder, who started the Scottish men's shed movement in 2009, called sheds “a social place for men to relax in their own company. They can talk about prostates and all sorts of health issues which they are never going to talk about in front of women.”

Male-only spaces may be especially important for men from communities where women and men are less likely to socialise together.

Under the Equality Act 2010, voluntary organisations can restrict their services to 1 sex only if it is a “proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim”. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has published detailed guidance on single-sex services and the Equality Act – however, this guidance is currently under review following recent UK Surpreme Court ruling.

Even if a shed is men-only, it can still involve women in various ways, such as referring men to join. Some sheds offer mixed-sex sessions, open to everyone. Others have women’s groups, which meet separately to the men’s, but might share premises, be run by the same organisation, and sometimes work on projects together.

If a shed includes trans and non-binary people, it’s important to think how they will be supported, and make sure that everyone feels accepted.

Key messages

The key messages are:

  • men’s sheds are community spaces where (mainly) men come together to socialise, learn new skills, and make and mend. Sheds can offer a wide variety of activities, from woodworking and renovating community buildings to IT classes and building model train sets

  • men’s sheds are an important grassroots movement. There are over 1,100 community sheds across the UK and 33,000 people access a men’s shed each week

  • sheds can offer a sense of purpose, routine, and belonging - particularly for older men and those who feel isolated due to bereavement, unemployment, retirement, or ill health

  • sheds have the potential to get people active and provide a safe space to open up about what's happening in their lives, often for the first time. In this kind of space, some men find it easier to open up about personal issues than they might in settings like GP surgeries or support groups

Find out more

About the research

We carried out the research for this in 2023. The full article is available here.

The studies and articles we reviewed to produce this include the following: 

Guidance on men’s sheds

There is plenty of guidance available:

In 2021, we funded Glasgow Caledonian University to create a comprehensive toolkit  for developing and sustaining men’s sheds.

Resources and information are available from the UK Men’s Shed Association (UKMSA), Men’s Sheds Cymru, Scottish Men’s Sheds Association, and Groundwork NI.

UKMSA offers templates that can be used to build a health and safety policy, as does the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association. UKMSA also offers safeguarding policy templates, with recommendations for prevention, checks, and reporting procedures.