Volunteers’ Week celebrates the invaluable contributions made by so many people across the country – including our Homes Plus customers.
From running breakfast clubs in our retirement living schemes to providing surplus food to neighbours, our customers make a real difference.
One project that would not exist without the efforts of volunteers, is the Church Eaton Men’s Shed in Stafford, which provides a welcoming space for men to come together to help combat isolation and loneliness.
It’s a place where they can have a coffee and a chat, share skills and get involved in practical projects that benefit themselves and the community.
The project now has 12 members after launching in January.
Homes Plus customer, Dave Cann, is the project’s chairman. He runs the session every Wednesday and Friday from 10am to 2pm at Church Eaton Cricket Club.
He previously ran a Men’s Shed in Wales and was keen to get involved with another project after moving to Stafford.
Dave said: “Men don’t tend to talk about their problems face to face, but if you put a man at a work bench next to another man, working on something shoulder to shoulder, they’ll start chatting away.
“When people are creating something with their own hands, taking a piece of wood at the beginning of the session and turning it into something, it gives them a sense of achievement too.
“We work not only on individual projects, but group and community projects as well. We’ve recently helped to do up the pavilion at Church Eaton Cricket Club and we’re also going to help clear a pond for an elderly lady in the community.”
Dave says joining a Men’s Shed ‘saved his life’ during a period when he was feeling very isolated and he’s proud to now be able to offer that lifeline to others.
The former landscape gardener said: “It literally saved my life when I was in a very dark place in 2013, feeling totally isolated and really into myself.
“The last thing I wanted to do was join a Men’s Shed because of the head space I was in. But I decided to give it a go and it gave me a focus.
“That’s the thing about a Men’s Shed, it takes your mind off your problems for a few hours. That’s what a Men’s Shed is about.
“I really look forward to running the sessions and meeting the different men who come along and listening to their stories.
“It’s amazing to see people come in with little confidence, dragging their feet, and within a few weeks they’re almost bouncing in because they look forward to coming.”
Running every year since 1984, Volunteers’ Week provides a crucial opportunity to thank volunteers and recognise the value of their time, passion and skills. The campaign highlights the diversity and unity of volunteer work across the UK.
It is led by the UK Volunteering Forum, a partnership between Volunteer Scotland, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) and Volunteer Now in Northern Ireland.
The UK Volunteering Forum said: “Volunteers bring a richness to organisations across the country. There is no better time to recognise the diversity of our volunteers and celebrate the difference that volunteering makes than during Volunteers’ Week. Without volunteers many charities just simply could not function, with so many people giving up their time and going above and beyond. The week is a chance for all of us to show just how vital they are to charities and communities everywhere.”
The Church Eaton Men’s Shed is looking for new members to join and get involved in DIY projects, repairs and maintenance tasks, gardening and much more.
To get involved or find out more, email churcheatonmensshed@gmail.com or call 07359520494.