Shropshire Star

Shropshire men's shed charity receive £4,000 towards final installations on community building

A Shropshire charity has received £4,000 as it continues in its journey to tackle loneliness and isolation in men in rural communities.

Published
Left to right: Jim Reynolds, Guy James (front), Keith Martin (trustee - middle back), Pete Blackburn (trustee - front) and Peter Cuthbert

Cleobury Mortimer Men's Shed has welcomed a donation of £4,000 from property business Assura towards the installation of electrics in its recently developed building in the town.

The charity aims to build a workshop for men in the town to use in the hopes of tackling social isolation and mental health issues.

It has received thousands in donations and grants since the idea started back in 2017, and has had countless offers from local tradespeople and experts to do work on the building free of charge.

Bill Duley, member of the Cleobury Mortimer Men's Shed committee, said it is great the group is getting recognition for its work.

"Assura, a medical building manufacturer, set up a programme to give donations to groups linked to a medical centre," he said.

"We are an example of this. We prepared an application with Katja Jones, from Cleobury Compassionate Communities, as she has ties with the medical centre.

"Where the Men's Shed would link in to the medical centre is working with people with social problems, particularly men who may have mental health problems.

"We have been talking about the relief we could give people in the community to help them."

The group's application discussed the number of people they could help by setting up the shed. It said 1,600 men aged between 50 to 80 would be able to have access to the shed, and experience the compassion and companionship it will offer.

The money from the grant will go towards installing electric wiring in the building, which will start soon.

Bill said it was satisfying that they were successful getting the grant, and it verifies the work they are trying to do with the Men's Shed.