Men's Shed Madeley officially opened

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The official opening of Men's Shed Madeley has now taken place. The ribbon was cut by Telford and Wrekin's Mayor Stephen Reynolds.

Traditionally the retired man's retreat at the bottom of the garden, Hall Barn in Madeley has officially become a Men's Shed. The 18th century barn, leased from The Wrekin Housing Trust, has been fitted out with a communal workshop for older men in the area to come together and socialise. The barn is the perfect home for shed members and provides a workshop, social area, kitchen and toilet facilities.

At the Shed members can work on projects of their own choosing and also come together to work on community based projects, all in a safe environment which offers friendship and the companionship of others.

Willie Gormley, from Men's Shed explains; "The aim of Men's Shed is encourage older men to get out of the house and step away from the sofa, be social, learn a new skill or share their experience with others. Our main focus is woodworking but we are also interested in exploring our artistic side with a bit of painting and drawing. Our coracle expert Terry is always keen to demonstrate his skills and has even made appearances on TV. Being older guys we have a lot of experience from different walks of life, can share our skills but also learn new ones together. We would be delighted to welcome new members."

Sue Hughes, Events Coordinator said; "It's fantastic to have a Men's Shed at our Hall Barn Retirement Living scheme. I'm hoping that many residents will feel inspired to join them. Social isolation can become a problem as we age so having a place to meet new people and learn a few new skills is great."

Members meet each Tuesday from 10am -4pm and would love to welcome other local, older men to come along and find out what it is all about. If you would like to find out more contact Willie Gormley on 01952 525289.

Men's Shed is at Hall Barn, Church Street, Madeley, TF7 5BT opposite the doctors.

5th October 2017