Long Sutton’s Men’s Shed, which, as its President, I visited again last month, does so much good. Set up in 2017 with the aim of providing a space for men to meet up with like-minded people. Since then, it has blossomed into a place where friendships are made, and skills shared. It meets each Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday morning in Long Sutton’s Silverwood Centre.
Long Sutton Men’s Shed, which owes an immense amount to the commitment of local councillor Jack Tyrrell and Barry Meade, now the group’s secretary, has attracted national prominence, being named Community Shed of the Year at 2021 UK Men’s Shed Association awards.
Men’s Sheds have become a national movement. Aimed at improving male mental health and wellbeing, while benefitting the local community. They matter, because many Britons are victims of acute loneliness. A Report published last year by the Men’s Sheds Association shows that loneliness is particularly acute in men, with over 1.2 million older men having developed a high degree of social isolation, and over 700,000 feeling a great degree of loneliness. Men’s Sheds are part of the Association’s Campaign, and for years now the Long Sutton Shed – and over 1,000 others like it nationally – has been providing meaningful activities in a welcoming place; it nurtures fellowship and nourishes purpose.
Communities are at the heart of human happiness and wellbeing. In a Men’s Shed, those who feel isolated are supported by Shed Leaders and other members, who provide ‘shedders’ with help in times of need, as they bond through shared experiences and interests. Often those involved have suffered ill health or other misfortunes, and by sharing the insights gained from adversity, others facing similar challenges benefit. Inside the Sheds, men work together on meaningful activities including woodwork, metalwork, repairing bicycles and furniture, with the 2023 Report highlighting dozens of accounts of Shed life from men of all types. Notably, craftsmen in the Long Sutton Shed are currently refurbishing the town’s signs.
The great thinker Edmund Burke dubbed the “little platoons” of community-based local groups and associations as being at the heart of successful societies. Certainly, bringing people together enhances the lives of all concerned.
Regrettably, in recent decades, Burke’s ‘little platoons’ have been disappearing. From the loss of pubs to the impoverishment of high streets; from challenges faced by local independent businesses to the isolating obsession with social media, our “nation of Shopkeepers”, in Napoleon’s famous words, is in too many places at risk as characterful particularities are lost.
Long Sutton’s Men’s Shed is a new ‘little platoon’ which, like numerous community-based organisations that brings people together, enhances people’s quality of life. Without the myriad of such local connections, the tapestry of all our lives would be much less colourful, joyful and meaningful.
