Our History

September 2018

It sounds like an old joke, “There were these 3 women……” or “How many women does it take to create a “Men’s Shed?” but in fact it is the reality and without their commitment we wouldn’t have our ‘Shed’.   

3 local ladies were talking together over coffee, all of these ladies had heard about Men’s Sheds through different angles. 

• ​Fran Carpenter (HCC Councillor for New Milton North, Milford & Hordle Division) had been to a presentation on Men’s Sheds at Hampshire County Council and thought it would be a great idea to get one going in New Milton.

• Christine Hopkins (NFDC Councillor for Milford) had lived in Australia where the original Men’s Shed program had started.

• Gill Hennah’s husband Allan was going to Christchurch Men’s Shed as there wasn’t a Men’s Shed in New Milton. 

 

These “tough cookies” as they described themselves arranged the initial public meeting at New Milton Community Centre to discuss and assess the public interest in creating a Men's Shed in the New Milton area.
 

In addition to these ladies, the public meeting also included

• Tez Cook, (Men’s Health officer at Hampshire County Council), to explain what Sheds all are about and the benefits to Men’s mental health and also the HCC “Men’s Step By Step project”

• Graham Gowman, the Chair of Romsey Men’s Shed, to explain how their shed works.  

 

More than 70 men registered their interest following that original public meeting and a steering committee was formed with the aim of creating and making "New Milton Men's Shed" a reality.  

 

By November 2018 the reality was in place and regular informal meeting had started and a committee formed.

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Our Aim and Mission is to:-

To provide a safe and friendly environment, that provides social inclusion, rather than social exclusion for, but not exclusively to men at risk of being socially excluded.
A place for people to come together 
 

• To promote the health and wellbeing of all its members, to create new friendships and social engagement through active participation and from time to time, providing opportunities for relevant health organisations to raise awareness of good health strategies for the benefit of its members
   

• Members are willing share skills, knowledge and experience to enrich each other’s lives, by undertaking practical projects for their own benefit or for that of the local community  
   

• To use their ‘Shed’ as a Social Hub