Bury Greenwood Group meets weekly at Philips Park in Bury. The Shed members work on community projects, their own activities and also carry out maintenance in the surrounding woodland area owned by Bury council. Once the Shed got up and running, they found they quickly reached capacity and developed a long waiting list. Recognising the demand for this type of group and not wanting to turn people away they were able to develop an extra social session meeting every 3rd week of the month with some support from other organisations in the area.
Working with Lancashire Wildlife Trust and Bury Beacon Service, the group run their Green Wood Social for socially prescribed members, people on the Shed waiting list, and anybody else that would like to enjoy a chat and cup of tea while learning greenwood activities. The Shed and Green Wood Social provide a welcoming environment for people to socialise, learn new skills, share, support each other and be in nature. The Shed is also now supporting the development of a new spin off Shed (The Rainbow Shed) in another area of Bury which should attract different members of the community.
The Bury Greenwood Group Shed is situated deep within Philips Park in Bury in a council owned building which the group maintain. They have an indoor workshop, outdoor working space and courtyard area for their main activities while they have also developed an allotment area, a self-made outdoor pizza oven, several outdoor seating spaces and a herb garden. One of the more unusual things the group do is ‘bodging’. This is a traditional woodturning craft, using green (unseasoned) wood to make chair legs and other parts of chairs or cylindrical items (rolling pins, rounders bats etc). The group use traditional methods and have crafted their own home-made shave horse and pole lathe (all pedal powered!) to create their chair and stool legs.
Four of the founding members of the Shed share how they got started and why it’s important to them. These individual stories were originally shared as part of an internal article done by the NHS about social prescribing.
Robin’s Story
I was semi-retired and looking for a new purpose. I wanted to give something back. There was a good volunteering network in Greenmount, and a group was looking after local woodland clearing paths, so families could enjoy it. Paul, the last of the woodland rangers recruited a network of volunteers to help. My wife wasn’t pleased – I’d swapped a motorbike for a chainsaw but it was a boyhood dream come true!
To start with, the wood was burnt on burners, but we realised we could make things to sell to fund equipment and training. We bought a lathe and Alistair who is a brilliant networker and remembers everything found us the venue in Philips Park.
Making things, being outside, working the woodland and having banter with friends is good for the soul. After years in a stressful job, an Advanced Practitioner in rheumatology, and being based in clinics for 40 years, it has been a breath of fresh air to be able to spend so much time outdoors.
I’ve also had cancer and that brings things into perspective. I’m working a couple of days a week now. The days I can come here are the days I look forward to. It means so much to have somewhere to come where you have the freedom to speak about how you’re feeling. But also, the freedom to be quiet, to just be. People here understand – we’ve all been through similar things.
Clearing, digging, chopping…there’s nothing better. It’s good exercise. And it’s a joy to teach, and help others, and talk, and pass things on. When you can’t do what you used to do because of age, injury, or illness, and when work has been everything, it’s good to have different interests and an excuse to learn new skills. We’re an eclectic mix of boys and girls who refuse to grow up. There’s a magic to this place. A
Alistair’s Story
A chance meeting with Chris and his daughter led to the creation of Bury Greenwood Group.
We have known each other for 30 years, being parents on the same school gate. But while catching up on the years that had passed, we discovered that both our sons were struggling with their mental health. And we agreed we needed to do something about it.
My son, Russell, was in a dark place. He would stay at home, wouldn’t socialise, would spend his days on computer games, he couldn’t find a job and didn’t want to do anything. He couldn’t do the power lifting he loved because of an inguinal tear (groin injury playing American Football). Chris’ son was also struggling at home physically and mentally after being in a car accident.
We had a lightbulb moment – why don’t we make something together, two dads and their sons.
I also knew Robin, another dad from the boys’ school, and what he was doing with Paul and the woodland management volunteers.
The council was willing to loan the Barn to a voluntary consortium, so it gave Paul and his woodland volunteers a base, and Chris and our families a space to make things out of the wood felled.
In return for the space, we renovated the workshop, rebuilt the walls, refurbished the outhouses. My background is in engineering but after 40 years sat in an office in IT, refurbishing the site and clearing the land has allowed me to get back to the engineering of my apprenticeship.
We have worked together – Bury VCFA helped with funding, we have cleared the wood for Incredible Edible and the Forest School. We all have different skills but a mutual respect.
We see the benefits of the group on all its members. Making things and spending time with Matt, Chris and I, helped Russell see he had a purpose and could achieve, it helped him out of his mental ill health. He is now teaching A Level Maths and in a happy relationship. Without the group my son wouldn’t be where he is today.
Chris’ Story
I’ve had my own issues. A crash two years before Matt’s meant I couldn’t use my arm for 6 months, so I couldn’t drive
After a career in the army, prostate cancer dealt a blow to my confidence. But coming here, three of us have prostate problems, means we can talk about our worries (or leave them at the door). We all understand each other.
We’ve talked about tablets, surgery, chemo, therapies. The brew, biscuits, and banter – it’s a way of getting our troubles out in the open.
The members are a huge support group. Without anyone feeling that it’s a support group – there’s no sympathy!!! But we all check up on each other.
There’s so much humour -those few hours every week are a tremendous help to us all. I always feel better when I’ve been, and I know my son Matt feels the same.
Matt’s Story
I was into motorsports and motorcycling but all that stopped when I was in a bad car crash. I spent 6 weeks in Manchester Royal Infirmary, 4 weeks on strict bed rest, and when I got home I found it hard to not be able to do the things I love. I had double vision, I couldn’t feel my legs, I had a shattered pelvis, had cut nerves.
Two years later and my head was a mess. I couldn’t ride a motorbike,
had had multiple surgeries, couldn’t go out or see friends. I had kidney disease from all the painkillers I’d taken, really bad migraines, high blood pressure…. It felt like I was under bombardment. Alistair said he knew I wasn’t right when I wouldn’t banter.
When Dad mentioned Alistair and Robin had some wood working equipment, I gave it a go. It was the start of me getting back on my feet.
Within three months of woodworking, I was helping other people make things. I love it. I make all sorts of things now – bowls, Christmas trees, carvings.
Now on a Thursday, whatever the weather I come down here, have a brew and a chat and it has such a therapeutic effect. The WhatsApp chat keeps the support going for the rest of the week. It’s more than a group. It’s knowing you’ve got people there for you. It might be a Men’s Shed but everyone’s welcome. Me and Paul are a generation apart but have become friends over a love of heavy metal.