We are very proud of our Shed, which is now firmly established in the very heart of Axminster and welcome new members.
Our weekly drop-in routine is:
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9.30am to 1.30pm.
We are also open on Wednesday evenings from 6.30 to 9pm
Just drop in, grab a cuppa and find out if it’s for you.
Come when you like and stay for as long as you like!
We have received a major award for the Shed’s ‘outstanding’ contribution to the local community. Formed only a matter of months ago, the Shed received the East Devon AONB’s coveted Acland Award at the organisations’s annual general meeting at Froginwell Vineyard at Woodbury Salterton. The award celebrates community projects that have received funding from the AONB Communities Project Fund (CPF) and ‘gone on to manifest exemplary outcomes for nature, wildlife, people, and place’.
For those that don’t know about Shedding, it’s a phenomenon that has resulted in more than 600 groups across the UK doing much what we are doing. While many groups use the title ‘Men’s Shed’, the reality is that they are usually inclusive of men and women, and there are no age barriers. In our case, we are very firmly a ‘Community Shed’.
The common factor in Shedding is that members are often people in retirement who enjoy some company, welcome a chat and are happy to put some of their spare energy into doing stuff that benefits their local communities. In some cases, it’s a process that can help to overcome loneliness and boost well-being. Membership is just £20 a year, with a £1 donation per attendance for refreshments.
We are keen to hear from potential members and also from those in the Axminster community who may have projects they would like us to consider.
Our Shed is actually a shop! But we are busy turning it into what Shedding is all about – a comfortable place where those who join us can sit for a while, chat for a bit, enjoy the odd coffee, and do whatever crafty stuff that grabs them. If you want to, you might even learn the odd skill you don’t have or indeed share your own skills with others.
Located in Chard Street in the heart of Axminster our Shed consists of a small cavern of previously retail space with a shop area at the front and a rear area with stacks of potential. It has been made available to us rent-free for an initial six month period by local estate agent Shane Morgan of Morgan York.
Our immediate job is to splash some paint and get the electrics sorted so that we can set up a series of work stations for woodwork, metalwork, upholstery / needlework and a variety of other crafts. Watch this space for updated photos as we progress. Or better still, do come and pile in!
If the idea of becoming a Shedder appeals to you (or if you have a relative or friend who might like to hear more) please drop an email to axminstercommunityshed@gmail.com (click the email button below for convenience) and we will then call you.
Likewise, do please contact us if you have a project with which you think we can assist. And if you have any tools that you think might find a useful home with us we might well bite your hand off!
Donations of any sort – including funds - will help us in our quest to create a group that can be a real force for future good in our community.
