Leighton Buzzard & District Men's Shed celebrates its second anniversary
Charity Leighton Buzzard & District Men's Shed is celebrating its second anniversary.
From a standing start in the autumn of 2024, the shed is now a firmly established part of the local community with two operating centres, three weekly sessions and a steadily growing membership.
"Although it's been two whole years, it only seems like five minutes since the town council convened a meeting with members of the public in a local coffee shop to discuss the possibility of forming a Men's Shed," said shed vice-chair Nigel Buchanan. "Around 25 people attended that meeting and the interest was such that a number of us agreed to act as a steering group to take the idea forward.
"The greatest single problem confronting us was finding premises, and we were delighted when the narrow gauge railway offered us the use of their workshops at the Stonehenge end of the line on Wednesday and Thursday mornings – that was really our Eureka moment, and we cannot thank the railway enough for their help in getting the shed up and running.
"Additionally, we hold a 'cuppa and a chat' session at the Pages Park Pavillion every Tuesday afternoon. This has developed from a simple drop-in event to one where we have formed interest groups and regularly stage discussions and presentations on a wide variety of subjects ranging from men's health to technology, such as photography and the development of AI.
"Over the past two years we have also forged links with other local organisations, such as the Leighton Buzzard Drama Group, for whom we build props for their Christmas panto. We are also active around town; you may have seen us at the charity markets the council organises – and I would just like to add that the support of the town council has been fantastic since day one – like the railway, we are indebted to them."
"As we enter our third year, we do so with confidence and optimism. Our shed is thriving, our membership is growing, and our community presence is strengthening. Everything we do is based on a collaborative approach – our shed is not just run by the trustees, every member takes an active part in deciding what we do and how we do it.
"On behalf of all of us at the shed, we look forward to continuing this journey together—supporting each other, and those who will join us in the year to come."
Interested in joining the Shed?
Visit www.lbshed.org, call 07734 105060 or drop in to any of its regular weekly sessions:
10am - noon every Wednesday and Thursday at the Stonehenge Workshops of the Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway, Mile Tree Rd, LU7 9LA
2pm - 4pm every Tuesday at the Pages Park Pavillion, LU7 4RD
The purpose of Leighton Buzzard & District Men’s Shed is to promote the preservation and protection of men's good health for the public benefit. Membership of the shed is open to, but not limited to, those who are retired, unemployed or have health issues. The shed seeks to achieve its objectives through the provision of facilities for hobbies, recreation or other leisure time occupations, including practical interests, skills sharing, the learning of new skills, and helping with other community-based projects.