As well as sourcing core volunteers and forming a committee, you will likely need to seek external support to help develop your Shed.
There are a wide range of agencies, associations and organisations that you can contact, including:
- National Men’s Shed Associations, provide useful advice and resources to both new and existing Sheds. You can also use their webpages to locate existing Men’s Sheds across the UK and Ireland. There are Men’s Shed Associations for Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland.
- Existing Men’s Sheds in your area or in other regions. It may be useful to check if there are already any shed networks existing in your region. Shedders are always happy to share their experiences and offer.
- Voluntary Organisation/ Charity Support Agencies who can give advice about running a voluntary organisation. Examples include the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), and local volunteer support centres.
- Local Public Authorities, for example Community Development Officers operating in your local council region. They can offer useful advice on premises available to use in your area, and sources of funding.
- Business Development support if you need advice about generating income. Advice is often available from local and national Government webpages. Some Sheds are set up by external agencies, or may be part of an existing community partnership, so you may already have direct access to skills and advice. All contact details and links to relevant websites can be found in the resources section at the back of the toolkit.