On the 20th August 2024, Galanos House became the first Royal British Legion care home to open the doors to their brand new Men’s Shed.
Staff, volunteers and residents from Galanos House, located in Southam, Warwickshire, welcomed visitors to the grand opening to proudly show off their latest project. The home welcomed representatives from the UKMSA (Charlie Bethel, Rachel Meadows and UKMSA Ambassador Paul Egerton), along with staff from the Royal British Legion, Southam Mayor Angela Taylor and local MP, Jeremy Wright for the event. The RBL’s Director General Mark Atkinson cut the ceremonial opening ribbon with a (somewhat unwieldy!) saw to a round of applause after making a short speech about the benefits of Men’s Sheds and how they can support both veterans and the wider community.
The Shed is situated in the grounds of Galanos House and is gearing up to start sessions for residents of the care home (all veterans), people living with dementia, and also members of the community. There has been plenty of publicity in the local area and people have started donating tools and equipment and volunteering to get involved.
Jo-Anne Wilson, Manager of Galanos House, has overseen the project, working with staff from the UKMSA and RBL, with input and support from UKMSA Ambassador Paul Egerton, who paid a visit to the home in June with the RBL’s Matt Ford. Jo-Anne is keen for the Shed to be utilised by as many people as possible, both at the home and in the community, and for members of the Shed to inform the direction of their activities, depending on their skills and interests.
Galanos House also houses a community hub and café where regular activities such as breakfast clubs, quilting sessions, and a theatre group take place and members of the public and residents mix to enjoy the café facilities. Staff in the kitchen had even made a special UKMSA cake for the event which was enjoyed by guests!
Visitors on the day included local man, David, who has been involved in Northampton Men’s Shed before, and was interested in donating some of his equipment to Galanos House’s new Shed and join as a member. When asked why David originally got involved in Men’s Sheds, he said “It was something good to do, and I had skills that I could share with other people.” Married couple Alan and Lynne who are long term Galanos House volunteers (15 years!) were also supporting at the event and believe the Shed will be a huge success.
The UKMSA and Royal British Legion became official partners in March 2024 and this is the first Royal British Legion care home to host a Men’s Shed in their grounds.
UKMSA CEO Charlie Bethel said “It’s really exciting to be here today and see what Galanos House have achieved. We wish the Shed every success in the future and are looking forward to continuing our work with the Royal British Legion to support the Armed Forces Community in Sheds.”
There are several other RBL homes that are also in the midst of planning a Shed and each will differ depending on the home and the interests of the residents. Some of these have already had support from local Sheds and UKMSA Ambassadors, so thank you to all in the Shed community who are supporting these new Sheds to form. Watch this space for more Royal British Legion and UKMSA partnership news!