A PROJECT set up last year to bring Ellesmere Port men together to share skills, stories, activities and cups of tea has celebrated its first birthday.
And Men in Sheds has been so successful, the group is in the process of moving to bigger headquarters to accommodate its ever-expanding membership.
The over-50s group met for the first time last February at their Stanlaw Abbey-based shed which, thanks to Lottery funding, was able to open four days a week.
A year later, membership has exploded from three to 20 – and the group is hoping to move into its new base at Junction 8 Business Park on the Rossmore Industrial Estate next month.
“We have come a really long way from when we started,” said manager Steve Thrower.
“Members don’t have to do any work, they can just sit down and read the paper.
“The stories they tell are just incredible. We’ve got people that have been in the SAS and marines. One of our members is even a former mayor of Ellesmere Port.”
Members meet for a coffee and chat and can suggest any activities they would like to see in the shed, from woodworking and metalwork to the arts.
Cooking has proved unexpectedly popular, with the ‘Men in Kitchens’ keen to improve their baking skills.
“The idea is that some of the guys have been living at home and they maybe lost their wives or divorced and some of them can’t boil an egg,” said Steve.
“We have been having them make curry and lasagne and the health benefits of that have made quite a few people sit up.”
The group has also lent a hand with community projects.
They recently helped strip old pews from Trinity Methodist Church – with one artistic member using the discarded wood to recreate Leonardo Da Vinci’s catapult.
For details, or to join Men in Sheds, call Steve on 0151 3455447.
