Community groups are being encouraged to apply for a share of the Sheds Grant Fund as it opens again for applications to help support the set-up of community Shed spaces.
South Holland currently has two Men’s Sheds, in Spalding and Long Sutton, which have proved invaluable spaces for people come together to take part in practical skills and activities.
They are designed and run by their members and provide opportunities for people to share tools, resources and skills in order to create, learn and develop social networks.
Royal Voluntary Service, with funding from the Asda Foundation, run the Sheds Grant Fund to provide small scale funding to Sheds who are looking for help with either set up or next stage development costs.
More than £60,000 has been awarded to 77 Sheds across the UK in the last two years to kick start or grow their ambitions.
Abigail Hurrell, Sheds Project Manager at Royal Voluntary Service said: “Each Shed is unique due to its location and the activities that the members want to undertake in the space. Whether it is for woodworking, gardening, model making, weaving or electronics, we are delighted to be able to give a helping hand to local communities who want to get a community based Shed up and running.”
The first Men’s Shed opened in the UK seven years ago, following a blueprint from the Australian Shed movement.
There are now over 440 Sheds in the UK with over 10,000 members and three new projects on average opening a week.
Sheds began predominantly as places for older men to come together and work on individual or community projects, but increasingly younger men and women are getting involved, benefiting from the social interaction and skill sharing that are at their heart.
The Sheds Grant Fund is run in conjunction with the four national Shed Associations representing and supporting Sheds in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Grants of between £250 and £1,000 are available from the Sheds Grant Fund.
To find out more about the Royal Voluntary Service and Asda Foundation Sheds Grant Fund and download the Application Form visit: www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/sheds
