What is “Men’s Sheds?” It
is an international movement started in the late seventies, gained traction
in Australia in 2002, and it has spread globally. The International
Federation on Aging hosted a presentation on Friday morning with Darrel O’Shaughnessy on the topic of Men's Sheds of Arnprior, Ontario, Canada.
Until this presentation, I knew nothing about Men’s Sheds. I am sharing this
phenomenon with my global audience, as this is a worthwhile program and I
support it wholeheartedly.
Men’s
Sheds is a non-profit peer-mentoring program targeting older men. Their tag
line in the USA is, “Shoulder to Shoulder,” as men do not talk face-to-face,
but typically feel more comfortable sharing stories over coffee and
woodworking. This comfort group brings men together and has been described as a
social healthcare movement to offset sudden isolation, role loss, loneliness, loss
of self-esteem, and “going off a social cliff.” It provides purpose and engagement. According
to O’Shaughnessy, the men need to “just show up.” His group consists of men
ages 55-93, from all occupations, social classes, and professions, gathering on
Tuesdays and Thursdays for woodworking projects, swapping stories, and just
hanging out.
According
to Fred Bobrowski, it is a bottom-up organization and all Men’s Sheds groups
are different. Their one commonality is their positive impact to men and their
communities. There are four hundred in Ireland, and I understand there are also
Hen’s Sheds there now.
Below,
I have provided global resources for Men’s Sheds. I found so many resources
that I could not post them all! Check out YouTube videos and Wiki to learn more
about the Men’s Sheds movement.
Resources:
Australian Men’s Sheds
Association https://mensshed.org/what-is-a-mens-shed/
Canada Men’s Sheds https://menssheds.ca/
Ireland Men’s Sheds https://menssheds.ie
UK Men’s Sheds https://menssheds.org.uk/
USA Men’s Sheds https://usmenssheds.org/
U.S. Men are Gathering in
Aussie-Style Sheds https://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/livable-in-action/info-2019/mens-sheds-in-us.html
Meet the Ladies Behind Cork’s
New Women’s Shed https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/arid-40146548.html
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