Ronseal is celebrating the work of the UK Men’s Sheds and the Association in a powerful new film launching this week.
The Shed has been produced by Rumpus Media, in partnership with Channel 4 studio and will be shown across their social channels from 14th June.
Launched to mark Men’s Health Week, it features an emotional interview with Joe Regan, whose son Jackson was tragically stillborn in 2019.
The moving documentary follows Joe, 28, as he visits his local Men’s Shed in Camden, North London, and openly talks to other members about his experience and the struggles he’s faced. He’s also seen being helped to make a sentimental memory box for the little boy he lost, and for his second son, who has just arrived in April 2021.
The UK Men’s Shed Association has been providing safe and welcoming spaces for men to get together and talk since 2013, and now has more than 500 sheds across the UK.
Members come together to enjoy the social element, as well as use the workshop’s facilities and share practical skills. The Sheds across the country have proven invaluable in boosting the moral and improving the overall wellbeing of its members.
Joe admits that spending time at a shed and sharing skills and tools to create something special for his family has been a hugely positive experience.
As he explains to craftsman, Joel Bird, and fellow shedder, Mick Tague, losing his son caused him to struggle with his mental health so much that he contemplated suicide. He says: “You feel the need to be strong for your partner but sometimes you need someone to ask how you’re doing.
“It led to me to think about taking my own life. That was the reality of bottling things up – it got to that stage. When a bloke says they’re not in a good place, we all need to support it.”
Reflecting on his time at the shed, he adds: “Anything that takes your mind away is good. Being in the shed is therapeutic and a fantastic outlet.”
As craftsman, Joel, explains:
“Places like this are great – you don’t have to be talking a lot but even a little amount can stop that lock up of emotions.”
Ronseal has been sponsoring Men’s Sheds across the UK since 2018.
As Jane Ryder, European Marketing Director at Sherwin Williams, Ronseal says: “We are really proud to be support the Men’s Shed Movement in the UK and Ireland. The work they do is today, as we move slowly out of lockdown, more vital than ever. We hope this film will connect with people who may know someone who would benefit from joining the shed network and as such we’re humbled to have been allowed to follow Joe’s journey – including the recent arrival of his new baby.”
Charlie Bethel of the UK Men’s Shed Association said:
“This week is Men’s Health Awareness Week and as Joe’s experience shows, we need to do more to support men to talk and connect. Our Sheds give people the opportunity to get together in a safe space where they can get stuck into DIY and make friends. Learning practical skills as they go. I hope anyone who sees the film and thinks they would benefit from joining a Shed gets in touch. We have groups for men and women of all ages.”
For more information on the Men’s Shed Association, and to find a shed near you, visit menssheds.org.uk.