London Sheds Update: One Year on.
By Ian Francis – (Development Officer – Greater London)
Now a year into my post I have been looking back at my hopes to build a stronger London Shed community which we could all benefit from. Being able to share resources, learn from each other and help more sheds to grow and flourish in Greater London, was and is my aspiration.
Thanks to support from City Bridge Foundation, since February 2025, there has been a number of exciting developments here in London. Although the work has only really just begun, collectively we’ve built relationships with and connected 25 Sheds through the ‘London Shed Network’ group. As a result, Sheds have been able to share learning, resources and celebrate their successes, making contact quickly and easily and reaching out to both UKMSA and each other with their queries, offers and advice.
London Sheds have been able to promote their extended opening hours, with both Downham Men’s Group and Upminster Baptist Church Shed offering new sessions to their local communities. Being able to celebrate, share in and recognise these successes and highlight their impact has personally been very rewarding.
UKMSA membership has grown as London Sheds, both current and new have joined or rejoined. With more benefits and opportunities to follow this trend will hopefully continue. Nine Shed articles have been written and shared with newsletters subscribers from across all sectors. Case Studies from Shedders have been completed, an area which we hope to focus a little more on this year. Working collaboratively, I have also been involved in developing a new UKMSA resource, again thanks to Sheds, Shed Leaders and Ambassadors both in and outside of London. The ‘Guide to using a Shipping Container as a Workshop’ is now available to download and aimed at supporting Shed’s who are considering this option for additional space. I’m looking forward to being involved in more working groups this year to further our pool of resources for all Sheds.
Thanks to your support, we have been able to represent London Sheds at both a local and national level through the ‘call for evidence’ on men’s mental health in London and across England. This has helped raise awareness of both the power of the Shed movement and the factors that impact men here in London and beyond.
In addition, we have supported 3 new London sheds to open, all in a 12-month period. Several more Sheds are ‘in development’ and are expected to open in the next year. Importantly, some of these ‘in development’ Sheds counter the stereotype of a Shedder. They reflect diverse London communities, attracting people of all backgrounds and ages.
New larger scale partnerships are continuing to form with non-traditional partners including Young Lives v Cancer, Royal Museums Greenwich and the University of East London. More on these will be shared as developments progress.
Furthermore, our growing partnership with Diageo has enable Sheds here in London and across the country to benefit from new volunteering opportunities, the ‘Mission S2S Build a Buddy Bench’ project and the space to raise their profile and that of the Shed movement in general.
At a recent volunteering panel hosted by Diageo, St Martins Shed – Lambeth were able to share the impact of their work with the local community, to a select panel, including International Charities ‘Water Aid’ and ‘Care International’.
Beth Rochford – ESG Lead Diageo GB said:
“It’s been a pleasure getting to know St Martin’s Shed more and spending time with their Shedders. As a new Shed, it’s amazing how energised they are and to see them grow. Diageo volunteers have visited them on a number of days to support their bench building work as part of the DRINKiQ and UK Men’s Shed Association community bench campaign. They’re a brilliant example of a Shed in action, providing a space for connection, purpose and DIY in their community.”
Finally, we have recently received the fantastic news that UKMSA has been successful in securing funding from the Media Trust. As one of only a handful of successful applicants this amazing opportunity will allow us to showcase the impact of London Sheds and create a bespoke short film here in London. Again, more details on this will follow.
I wanted to say thank you to all those Sheds, Shedders, leaders, Coordinators, colleagues and partners who have helped make this happen. I am really excited to see how 2026 develops as more opportunities and support come our way.
