Graham Stuart, Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness, recently visited the dedicated team at Beverley Men in Sheds to witness how their community is flourishing.
Beverley Men in Sheds is a charitable organisation founded to combat loneliness and isolation within the community. Situated at Woodmansey Garden Centre, the group welcomes men and women of all ages, affectionately known as ‘Shedders’. They gather from Monday to Friday, between 9.30am and 2pm, to engage in carpentry, enjoy a chat, and share a coffee.
The Shedders create a wide variety of items, including an impressive Noah’s Ark with accompanying animals, wooden egg cups, and coasters. These creations are sold at exhibitions across the East Riding to raise funds for the upkeep of their facilities and the materials needed for their woodwork. Recently, volunteers have also been crafting wig stands, which they donate to the Oncology Unit at Castle Hill Hospital in Hull to support cancer patients.
As a self-sufficient charity, Beverley Men in Sheds relies on generous public donations to sustain this vital community initiative. They have been one of the ‘Blue Coin’ charities at the Tesco branch in Beverley, and they hope to use the funds raised to repair their leaking roof. Additionally, they have received donations of excess wood from a local carpentry business, which they have used to renovate part of their greenhouse.
Despite their successes, Beverley Men in Sheds is little-known outside of Woodmansey and the group is keen to welcome more people from across Beverley and the surrounding areas who want to meet new people and use their creative skills to craft some brilliant creations for the community to enjoy.
For more information or to support Beverley Men in Sheds, please visit them at Beverley Men in Sheds, Oldroyd's Corner, Woodmansey Garden Centre, Hull Road, HU17 0RS.
During his visit, Graham Stuart MP was also given a tour of the adjoining garden space, part of Oldroyd’s Corner, a non-profit community garden under glass that has been running since 2016. Here, he read heartfelt poems from families affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine, collated by local artist Robert Fowler, and saw a range of impressive sculptures crafted using reclaimed wood.
Moira, a volunteer in the group, guided him through the thriving green space, explaining their plans to create a large dry bed for volunteers to tend, and to build a kitchen for teaching purposes. Graham was impressed with the work that Moira and her team of volunteers are doing to utilise the magnificent green space they have and was pleased to hear about the therapeutic benefits to mental and physical health that the greenhouse brings to people in the town.
Kevin Sheehan, Secretary of Beverley Men In Sheds, commented: “We were delighted to welcome Graham back to our Shed at Oldroyd's Corner Yorkshire CIC, to meet our Shed members and showcase their craftsmanship. We truly appreciate his support, and are delighted that he shares our vision to open up our group to as many as possible.”
Graham Stuart said: “I was delighted to return to visit Beverley Men in Sheds and see the incredible work being done by this dedicated group. Their space is a vibrant hub of artistic expression, charitable activities, and community support. They have done amazing work to grow the group since I last visited in 2020 and I can’t wait to see what they do next.”
