Did you know that the first week of June each year is Volunteer’s Week?
Our team of volunteer Shed Ambassadors fly the flag for the Shed Movement locally and nationally. They connect people in their communities, they give support and information to new and existing Sheds, and they do valuable promotional work to champion Sheds, highlighting the many benefits that people can get from Shedding.
Our Shed Ambassadors are valuable to us, they are the men and women that have started their own Sheds, run their own Sheds, and sometimes have even built their own Sheds! It’s an unbelievable offer for us to be able to put people in touch with someone that has first-hand experience of the challenges and practicalities of developing a Shed.
“I’ve been involved with UKMSA since 2015 and its always a pleasure to hear from and chat to other people starting out on their Shed journey. There’s not much that another Shed hasn’t already encountered along the way now! We have so much experience and learnings across the movement – from the pitfalls to the joys of bringing people together, forming a group, finding a premises, to renovations or rebuilds before the kettle goes on for the first big Open Day!
If I can help to steer someone in the right direction, allay worries or share a policy or document that is already out there to make a next step easier – then it’s great to know another community is on its way to benefiting from having its own Shed.” – Jo Phillips – Ambassador, Midlands.
Starting a Shed can seem daunting, lengthy, and costly at times, but with Ambassador support it can feel much more achievable. Ambassadors are a Shed’s local friend and just by being there and in touch, can give a lot of confidence and reassurance to new Sheds on the block.
As one of our Ambassadors, Graham Gowman said…
“I’m there to give people confidence that this can be done. It’s really just instilling confidence, that’s the role.”
UKMSA would like to thank all of our volunteer Ambassadors for the time, knowledge, enthusiasm and passion that you share to support others and let people know about the magic of Sheds. Establishing a Shed in an area can have a huge ripple effect, impacting individuals, families and community, changing lives in the process.
Unfortunately we can’t shout out all of our Ambassadors individually, but we’d like to thank each and every one of you for the work that you do and the lives that you change. Have a read of some of the recent feedback we have had about some of our Ambassadors. These are the kinds of things that all of our UKMSA Shed Ambassadors do to support Sheds, and the difference they can make.
Patrick Abrahams – Ambassador, South West
“Patrick is very steady and calm and instils confidence in me as I know he will always be there in the background pointing me towards helpful resources and so on. His offer is always there to join our group for meetings too when needed. I very much appreciate his presence and support!” – Shed in Somerset
Gerry Johnson – Ambassador, South East
“Thank you so much for presenting at the webinar last Thursday. Our audience was really pleased to hear about this option of warm-hearted support. Gerry was an absolute credit to UKMSA. Thank you so much for offering him the opportunity to shine.” – National Bereavement Alliance
Henry Gowman – Ambassador, East of England
“He was there right from our first meeting and involved all the necessary people and contacts we needed to take it to the next level. I still keep in touch with him now as he is a fountain of information and I personally think that we would not of have made such a good job if he wasn’t there. We have our Grand Open day in June and Henry was the first person I invited.” – Shed in Norfolk
Graham Gowman – Ambassador, South East
“Graham has been a great support from day one when we decided to set up a Shed in Wellow. He helped to get the local parish council on board and advised us how to set up the initial meeting. As Graham is on board it does not seem like we are on our own. We thank him very much for his time and effort.” – Shed in Hampshire
We are still looking for more Shed Ambassadors! If you have been involved in the establishment of a Shed, or the running of a Shed, and would like to be able to share your knowledge and experiences with others, or if you feel you would make a great spokesperson for the Shed Movement, please get in touch.
To find out more about becoming one of the team, please email admin@ukmsa.org.uk for more information, or visit Become a UK Men’s Sheds Ambassador.
