Humber Men in Shed project saves lives says CEO

Life-changing community spaces for men in the Humber have received new funding from the National Lottery.

The Men in Sheds initiative allows people to get together and chat while using their skills to help local community projects.

The Humber and Wolds Rural Action, who run the sheds, have received £260,689 from the National Lottery to secure and expand the sheds over the next two years.

"Some of the shed members would not still been here today, they will tell you that themselves that this is an absolute lifesaver for them," said Jane Owen, CEO of Humber and Wolds Rural Action.

"They get to meet like minded people. They actually get to do something positive. For some it's a reason to get out of the house, for other people it's that social contact.

"For some it's giving service back. We've got we've got some gentlemen who are veterans and and it's a very firm part of their ethos that they should give something back to the community and serve the communities."

Men Sheds began in Australia in the 1990s with the aim of connecting men after big life changes - such as retirement, unemployment or bereavement.

There's now over a thousand sheds across with UK, with 18 in the Humber region, that support men's mental wellbeing.

"If you talk to the men in the sheds and the ladies in the sheds as well, I think most of them say it's a sense of purpose. They're they're doing something positive," said Jane Owen.

"We find communities in these parts do tend to want to do something positive and it's just collecting them together in order to do something positive together."

The sheds come in all shapes and sizes, with each run by members or "shedders" but connected through the Humber Alliance.

It's mainly about making things - whether that's for the individual or the community.

"You wouldn't normally find all of these people in one room having a conversation because they're from all different walks of life," said Jane Owen.

"Each shed is different."