The Awards dinner was held after Shedfest 2022 at Worcester University, in the first Awards Dinner since Lockdown, Broadstairs Town Men’s Shed lifted the award of UK Men’s Shed of the Year; and Awards in four more four categories were made.
In announcing the winner, the compere remarked that
‘ The Shed of the Year is a group that blew the judges away.
This Shed is a huge asset to their community, engaging with over 30 local groups, tackling health and wellbeing issues for members, creating an inclusive, stimulating environment where Shedders support each other, form friendships and tackle loneliness and isolation thereby enriching members’ lives via a passion and enthusiasm that exceeds any of our original expectations.
The Shed has nine volunteer ‘Shed Heads’ and over 170 Shedders over 28% are over 50 years of age and live alone, a huge number! Their Little Libraries project has seen thousands of books shared in the past twelve months and they have also created a number of sensory parks.
The winner has wheelchair accessible facilities, metal work facilities, CNC, 3D modelling, woodwork, turning and a Nourish and Flourish programme to support wellbeing amongst members.
UK Men’s Sheds Association Congratulates Broadstairs Town Shed as the Shed of the Year’
The award was collected by an emotional Kerry Millet and together with her fellow Shedders they thanked everyone involved and were humbled by their shortlisting and winning. They went on to congratulate all the Sheds that were nominated and Shortlisted for the tremendous work they do across the UK.
A special commendation was also picked up by Long Sutton Men’s Shed recognising their overall impact on their community and that they have grown at a tremendous rate in both their members and the size of their workshops.
The Shed of the Year Award came with a Metalcraft Workshop worth over £500 from Metalcraft UK together with a bespoke trophy designed by Carveco and a turned bowl from Sunnyside Shed Men’s Shed who carried on the tradition of the previous winner creating a gift for the next awardee.
The Award night also saw one Shed winning an unprecedented two Awards as Brunel Shed Corsham won Community Shed of the Year and the Health and Wellbeing Award 2022.
Brunel Shed Corsham impressed the judges so much with their work in the Community and in the field of Health and Wellbeing they took the double on the night.
The Community Shed of the Year Award is presented in recognition of a Men’s Sheds where they make a real difference in their community, engaging and making their community a better place. The Award came with Vouchers from Axminster Tools.
Brunel Shed Corsham won the award due to the work they did to transform the outdoor play area of a financially poor primary school by designing from scratch and building a whole outdoor teaching area and play equipment, together with musical instruments, changing the whole aspect of the outside area to prospective parents, whilst building a very strong rapport between school and shed, the Shed also came to the rescue by taking on the daunting task of building seventeen accurately tuned glockenspiels using steel bars and timber. A labour of Love which also saw the Shedders playing the instruments to the Children.
The Shortlisted Sheds for the Community Shed of the Year were:
West Bletchley Shed for bringing back and maintaining a local community sensory garden which was derelict and a magnet for anti-social behaviour
Long Sutton Men’s Shed where they make a lot of impact in a relatively small community including silver crowns for the jubilee and enriching the community with planters galore
The Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Men’s Shed for building relations, enhancing environments whilst also benefitting the membership
Church Crookham and Fleet Men’s Shed for the Jubilee Express and Santa’s Christmas Train
Dalbeattie Men’s Shed where they bought back to life the Skeoch of Dalbeattie, with only the original car insignia and a set of plans.
Men’s Shed make a tremendous impact to the health and wellbeing of their communities, they transform and save lives. Some however manage to push boundaries and create new ways of working that are an example to all of us. Brunel Shed Corsham is one such Shed.
In partnership with Alzheimer’s Support, Brunel Shed found an innovative approach and partnership to deal with dementia, supporting the community and their shedders without having an adverse effect on their Shed Culture. The Memory Shed is a partnership that has evolved and is now a weekly workshop session of two and a half hours, including an extensive tea/biscuit/cake break in a separate seating area created by the shed for that purpose.
A typical attendance would be one facilitator, Kerry, funded by Alzheimer’s Support, 5-6 clients with dementia, 2-3 carers and 4-5 shed volunteers. Each client is supervised and assisted in completing their tasks by a volunteer, this close supervision means that the clients can be safely allowed the use of hand and portable power tools to produce work at a reasonable rate and to a standard to be proud of.
The Memory Shed is used where possible to help with larger projects from the “main” shed, e.g. sanding and painting restored wooden benches and playground equipment. Shedders get a tremendous amount out of it with them wanting to volunteer as do the members of the Memory Shed as it lifts their moods, their days and their being.
This is commended as a tremendous project that tackles so many challenges that Sheds often face in wanting to help more people.
A special Chairman’s Commendation was made to Westbury Shed for their support of local Shedder Norman! After 38 years of deterioration in his left eye, Norman’s sight left him. This award was made in as the behaviour of his fellow Shedders exemplified how Shedders look out for each other. The determination, tenacity and support shown Norman by his fellow Shedders meant that he got treatment and his sight was restored in his left eye; something he never thought possible. A fantastic example of Shedders caring.
The Shortlisted Sheds for the Health and Wellbeing Award were:
Long Sutton Men’s Shed for their programmes with Social prescribing, Suicide prevention and working with the South Holland Heath and Wellbeing Group
Westbury Men’s Shed for their specific intervention on one of their fellow Shedders, exemplifying the support Shedders give to each other
Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Men’s Shed for their engagement with the local primary care trust, Dementia Action Alliance, Active Gloucestershire amongst many other health care organisations.
Dalbeattie Men’s Shed, recognising both their powerful work over successive Lockdowns in Scotland, their ebbing the tide of dementia with one of their members through their Skeoch project and indeed the extensive research they conducted into the impact of Lockdowns
Shed Partnership of the Year
Church Crookham and Fleet Men’s Shed were awarded the Shed Partnership of the Year as a Shed where they demonstrates an incredible and sustainable partnership where that partnership blossomed in to much more. As winner of the 2022 Partnership of the Year Church Crookham and Fleet Men’s Shed will receive vouchers from Axminster Tools
Not only did the Men’s Shed develop a great relationship with the Rotary, raising £7,000 for good causes at Christmas, they were equally engaged with their local partners including the Royal Legion, Local Schools and even revamping a Red Phone Box for a local defibrillator – interestingly next to the pub… Their work was adapted for the Jubilee and they show tremendous support to their members whilst supporting their community and partners.
This Shed also introduced one of their partners, Tite-Fix to UKMSA who then became the official Screw of Men’s Sheds – taking their flare for partnerships to the next step, sharing what they had achieved for the good of the whole Shed community in the UK.
The shortlisted Men’s Sheds for the Shed Partnership award were:
Long Sutton Men’s Shed for their partnership with their Youth Shed, Partnership with SHINE a Suicide prevention project and the Parish Council.
North Walsham Men’s Shed for the sheer scale of their partnerships with a plethora of health organisations, suicide prevention, and a very special partnership with their local MP Duncan Baker who also joined us for ShedFest.
Men in Sheds Kemptown in Brighton where there is a long list of local partners including So Sussex, Stanmer Organics, Hera, Voices in Exile and Community Roots
The Brunel Shed, Corsham for their partnership with Alzheimer’s Action and the Memory Shed.
Volunteer of the Year – The Men’s Shed movement is built upon the Shoulders of Giants, standing Shoulder to Shoulder and the Shed Volunteer of the Year Award is presented to one such person. Geoff Allison of Dalbeattie Men’s Shed in Scotland is a person who saves lives by the work they do in their Shed and is an absolute inspiration.
Geoff is both a volunteer Ambassador of UKMSA and the Secretary of the Dalbeattie Men’s Shed who won Shed of the Year themselves in 2017.
Men’s Sheds have meant a great deal to Geoff and his family. His daughter, Sam write to the Association thanking the Men’s Sheds movement for giving her back her Dad after a period of loneliness. The movement in Dalbeattie and the UK is indebted to Sam and her family for giving Men’s Sheds Geoff and the contribution her father makes. Geoff is so engaged in the community he is also Santa Claus’ representative in the town!
A Chairman Commendation was also made in this category to Jane Trout from the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Men’s Shed who, quite simply saved a Shedders life.
When a Shedder had a heart attack in their Shed, Jane carried out CPR for over twenty minutes until an ambulance arrived to take the Shedder to hospital. They have since returned to the Shed. As part of this Commendation, London Hearts are also providing £400 toward their Sheds fundraising efforts for a defibrillator. Jane’s award was collected in her absence by a Shed member.
This Award recognises the volunteers in the Shed movement, the many hundreds that contribute to the daily life of the Shed, often unrecognised for the hours they spend raising income, opening the Shed, fetching the milk for the tea and coffee and their ability to connect the Shed to the community.
The Shortlisted Shedders were:
Frank Heinrich Tiller from Long Sutton Men’s Shed for his contribution to their Shed and is a driving force connecting the Shed to so much activity in the community.
Jim Razey from Bletchley Men’s Shed for his contribution to the Shed and leading on their Sensory Community Garden. A project he has committed so much of his time to and encouraged others to support.
Jane Trout from the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Men’s Shed for her engagement with local health organisations, development of the Shed, safeguarding and suicide prevention training and safeguarding the health of Shedders
John Latchford, Chairman of UK Men’s Sheds Association together with Rob Newman, Commercial Director at Carveco presented the Awards to each Shed on the evening.
UKMSA Patron and woodturning star Chris Fisher RPT, the Blind Woodturner provided a fantastic after dinner speech to those assembled with a mixture of laughter and compassion as he shared his journey after becoming blind, his desire to make a vampire stake and the love of his family. Chris will also be appearing in Money for Nothing this Autumn on the BBC.
One final pair of Awards made at ShedFest 2022 were presented by Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter. Judged earlier in the day by Master Craftsman Peter Sefton, UKMSA ran a competition to recognise the Best Turned item and the Best Utensil/Bird Box.
The second award went to Sam Phillips for a fantastic set of Utensils made in a traditional material also demonstrating great skill and precision.
A huge congratulations to all Sheds that were Nominated and Shortlisted for this year’s Shed of the Year Awards in Worcester.
Thank you also to the staff of the University of Worcester, our sponsors, partners and all the Shedders who joined the Shed of the Year Awards to celebrate what makes Sheds great!
| Shed Community Project of the Year 2022 |
| Brunel Shed, Corsham |
| Shed Volunteer of the Year 2022 |
| Geoff Allison, Dalbeattie Men’s Shed |
| Shed Health and Wellbeing Impact of the Year 2022 |
| Brunel Shed, Corsham |
| Shed Partnership of the Year 2022 |
| Church Crookham and Fleet Men’s Shed |
| Shed of the Year 2022 |
| Broadstairs Town Shed |
| Special Commendation Award |
| Jane Trout, Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Men’s Shed |
| Long Sutton Men’s Shed |
| Westbury Shed |