Newest Men’s (and Community) Shed Opens in Plumstead
Saturday 15th February marked another milestone in the development of Men’s (and Community) Sheds in Norfolk with the opening of a new Shed building at the Plumstead Walled Garden.
The Walled Garden—already a well-established community facility on the site of the former Plumstead Hospital—had recognised a growing need across its expanding portfolio of services to offer activities that more directly appealed to men. An embryonic group, which would go on to become the Men’s Shed, had been meeting for well over a year. However, things really gathered pace last year when Jonny Wood, Men’s Shed Network Facilitator and part of the Better Together team, and Henry Gowman, the Norfolk Ambassador for the UK Men’s Shed Association, got involved and helped the team at the Walled Garden begin planning for a designated ‘workshop’ building.
How we got there…
After nearly a year of planning and fundraising by Andy and Linda Carty, who lead the Walled Garden’s management, their hopes came to fruition on 15th February with the formal opening of the new Shed/Workshop. The ribbon was cut by Gordon Burns, former host of ITV’s The Krypton Factor. Jonny and Henry also joined the celebrations.
“The Walled Garden Shed is a very welcome addition to the Shed family in Norfolk,” says Jonny. “It’s also an innovative take on the Shed concept. The Walled Garden is already a successful and much-loved community facility, but it’s interesting to note that they recognised the need to increase male participation in their work. The Shed concept is flexible enough to slot in alongside their other activities—and it’s great that it now has its own home within such a lovely site.”
“The Walled Garden Shed is a very welcome addition to the Shed family in Norfolk,” says Jonny. “It’s also an innovative take on the Shed concept. The Walled Garden is already a successful and much-loved community facility, but it’s interesting to note that they recognised the need to increase male participation in their work. The Shed concept is flexible enough to slot in alongside their other activities—and it’s great that it now has its own home within such a lovely site.”The main meeting of the Walled Garden Shed is currently held on Wednesday afternoons, but with the new building now open, many more creative activities are being planned. The Walled Garden team is happy to welcome anyone who would like to visit the Shed or explore the other facilities on offer. They have also started supporting other organisations interested in adding a Shed to their own community offerings.
We of course wish the Plumstead Shed all the best in their new home as well as all the Men’s and Community Sheds across the county.
To find out how Voluntary Norfolk’s Better Together Service are supporting the Men’s Shed network in Norfolk, click here.
