A group set up to help alleviate loneliness is continuing to grow and help out with community projects including renovating the signs in the town they’re based.
The Long Sutton Men’s Shed has been given a £14,930 grant from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Community Investment Fund to continue the work they do.
It was set up so men who may otherwise be on their own could meet up at the Silverwood Garden Centre, talk and work on projects together.
The new funding will be used to set up several new groups that people can attend.
They include setting up a new model railway group overseen by Barry Meade and Ian Cannon and a ‘silver surfers’ group which will involve the purchases of laptops and a printer.
For its many other projects it’s looking to purchase a CNC router, a 3D printer and a Tig welder.
Those projects include revamping the Long Sutton signs around the town.
A spokesman for Long Sutton Men’s Shed, said: “We are a powerful and amazing grassroots movement with a positive impact on men’s mental health and wellbeing plus many other benefits for our members and the community.
“The ambition of this fund is to support initiatives which promote mental health and wellbeing at a small scale, grass roots, community level, accessible to all groups, no matter how small or inexperienced they are to support both new and existing groups or projects.
“The programme is aimed towards all people aged 18 and over to respond to the needs of people living with a diagnosis of severe mental illness, as well as to promote end enable the population of Lincolnshire to promote self-care when managing everyday mental health and wellbeing needs.”
Donna Pinkney, senior community support and engagement coordinator for South Lincolnshire of Shine, which distributed the funds, was on hand to get a taste of some of the Men’s Shed projects as was South Holland and the Deepings, MP Sir John Hayes.
A spokesman for Long Sutton Men’s Shed said: “Thank you for this grant.
“We’ve just started the new projects with the new model railway being one of the biggest ones.
“We hope the publicity will bring in 30 plus new members.”
