Can I borrow your brain for a moment?

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One of the things, which a men’s shed offers its members is access to a range of tools and space to carry out projects in the company and with the support of others.

In this environment some of the common requests you might hear include:

“Can I borrow the hammer when you have finished with it, I have left mine at home?”

“Would you mind holding the door as I  do up the screws on the hinges?”

“Can you show me how to use the mitre saw?”

These examples of cooperation, collaboration and community are some of the fundamentals of a Men’s shed.

However, they are not the only aspects of mutual sharing and cooperation which takes place in a Men’s shed and which make a shed a special place.

More importantly Men’s Sheds are also known for the care and support shed members provide for one another.

Recently I was listening to a lecture by Professor Jeremy Holmes on the work of John Bowlby on Attachment Theory and Psychotherapy.

He explained that in times of stress people are less able to process their circumstances because their brains are preoccupied by their emotions rather than the practical aspects of the event.

In a therapeutic context a therapist is able to help the person by supporting them to process their circumstances, by in effect lending the calm and unstressed brain of the therapist.

When I heard this I realised that in a Men’s Shed this is exactly the sort of supportive transaction which takes place between members. A member might be bereaved or be going through the break down of a long term relationship or be facing a serious medical condition. In such circumstances people will often be preoccupied with the emotions of their situation and unable to think things through.

In this situation, other shed members may be able to help them process what is happening by in effect lending them their unstressed brain. They don’t need to provide advice but, by simply remaining calm, will enable their fellow member to express their emotions and have the facts and reality of the situation reflected back.

This is sometimes done by member’s sharing their own stories and experiences. In effect they help their fellow member solve his own problem by lending their brain to do some of the processing for them.

So perhaps the offer of support to the man who is hurting is not just the offer of an arm around the other man’s shoulders in the safe space of the Men’s Shed but also the loan of another member’s brain for careful listening and reflection. This enables the hurting member to process their circumstances and come to a new place of understanding.

By Andy Ryland, Development Officer at Community First Yorkshire.

 

Woodlesford Dementia Group to enjoy sparkling Xmas party thanks to donation

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Christmas party goes ahead with a little help

I always love hearing stories from the community in and around Rothwell. This Christmas story of  a Christmas party that was aided by the donation of a local business really warms my heart as I know how important these gatherings are for the group.

The Leeds branch of a national lift company has given a donation to a volunteer group that provides an important lifeline for people with dementia, their families and carers – and they are spending it on a Christmas party.

Pickerings Lifts, based in Tingley, has made a donation to the Cosy Corner Memory Café in Woodlesford which helps support people affected by dementia.

The Cosy Corner Memory Café is a pop-up event held on the first Thursday of the month at the Two Pointers pub, in Woodlesford. It offers social and emotional support to people with dementia and a chance for families and carers to meet others in similar situations.

The £200 donation will be used to pay for a Christmas party for the group.

Jimmy Richardson, regional manager at Pickerings Lifts, said: “Living with dementia at any time brings challenges but the pandemic is making daily life even harder. The Cosy Corner Memory Café does a wonderful job of providing people affected by dementia with a place they can turn to for regular support, advice and a nice warm cuppa.”

Pickerings Lifts is committed to supporting its local communities across the UK and are involved in a large number of charity-focused initiatives that improve the lives and outcomes of local people.

Pauline Hope, who runs Cosy Corner Memory Café, said: “I’m involved in running a number of social groups in the village including an art group, a mental health group and the Cosy Corner Memory Café which help people come together to support each other. My ultimate goal is to ensure all public spaces and places in our community are dementia-friendly.

“I’m delighted to accept this donation – the Cosy Corner Memory Café group will now enjoy a lovely festive celebration, thanks to Pickerings Lifts.”

Pickerings Lifts, a fifth generation family-owned business, is the UK’s leading lift specialist. Established over 160 years ago, Pickerings has a national network of depots that specify, design, install, upgrade, maintain and repair all types of lifts, escalators, loading systems and mobility equipment across many sectors, for many different kinds of businesses.

Contact:

To get in touch, please email Sarah Hart, our Rothwell Assets Based Community Development Officer / Nidderdale Community Led Housing Officer on: sarah.hart@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

 

Men’s sheds chiming with wellbeing

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By Andy Ryland

Anyone who has been to see blacksmithing or been into a Men’s Shed may have heard the sound of the hammering of hot metal or nails being banged into timber.

What I have noticed, is that a blacksmith develops a rhythm to his/her work and when the metal is reaching its perfect shape, it will have a ring or a sound like the chiming of a bell. It is as though the blacksmith is playing a musical instrument as they work.

However, the CHIME of wellbeing in a Men’s Shed that I am referring to is something different and in fact, are happy men at work.

You see CHIME is an acronym for a way to promote wellbeing, which is used by professionals to support people as they improve their mental wellbeing.

The letters in CHIME stand for the following:

Connectedness in particular being connected to other people in positive ways, characterised by peer support and supportive friendships. In my view, this is very much what men’s sheds are about; connecting with others and doing things together. Whether that is working on a project to get the shed going in the first place or working with other members to build a community project such as a storytelling chair for the village school.

Hope is something that can be lost when life bowls a googly, perhaps a result of a divorce, death of a partner, or loss of employment. Yet working and being with others can give hope as you hear stories of how they have overcome difficulties and life has got better. In the word of Captain Tom Moore, “Tomorrow will be a good day”.

Identity refers to a positive sense of self. This can be lost on retirement or redundancy and men’s sheds can help to fill that gap, particularly if the person concerned has a role they can fulfil. However, care is needed that this does not become a way to exclude or dominate others.

Meaning is defined by the person (not others) and refers to having found a meaningful purpose in life. A shed can give an opportunity to develop or express this. For instance; working on the project to develop the shed, sharing skills, working on community projects, and being part of a team.

Empowerment. Redundancy, ill health, and retirement can strip a person of the control that someone has over their lives. It may undermine their strengths and take away some of the responsibilities they may have had at one time. Being part of a shed can give that back as it can give an opportunity for someone to express their strengths and, with the encouragement and support of others, regain control over their lives and take responsibility.

Climate change and charities – why we need to take action

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Why climate change matters

In November the UK hosted the twenty sixth Conference of Parties on Climate Change, or COP26. Across the media we are seeing an increasing and much needed focus on Climate Change and what it means for people, why it is important, and what will happen if we do not take action to address the impacts of Climate Change now.

All individuals, neighbourhoods, groups, businesses, organisations and countries have a responsibility to take action against Climate Change; and this includes charities. We all use energy and resources, we all have a carbon footprint and we should all be doing what we can in all aspects of life; home, work and social, to reduce our footprint wherever possible. Without everyone making changes and altering what they use and how, the challenges of Climate Change will not be met.

Charities and climate change

We do not work in this sector because we want to make lots of money. We do the work we do because we want to make a difference – doing what we can to create fair, healthy and happy communities for everyone.

However, in this sector it is hard (sometimes impossible) to do what is needed. We can never do enough, we never have enough time, money or resources. So deciding to remove some of our focus and energy away from our vital work, whether that be cancer research, food banks or loneliness prevention, is difficult. But what we do know and understand in this sector is that disadvantage, whether linked to health, finance, education, background or personal experience, has a long lasting and significant impact on people.

Climate change will impact harder and more quickly on those people who are already struggling, and the longer we leave it before taking action the worse it will be. So we all need to start doing whatever we can, now.

The business case

Taking action on Climate Change is not just morally the right thing to do, it is also sensible professionally and from a reputational point of view. Going forward charities can expect donors, supporters, beneficiaries and volunteers to demand more from us. We can expect funders, grant giving organisations and trusts to ask about the environmental impact of our work when applying for funding. Organisations across all sectors are also seeing increasing public backlash against unsustainable practices, such as the ongoing use of single-use plastic for promotional items and charities are not exempt from this.

What to do next

Thinking about climate change and its consequences can be overwhelming and it can be difficult to know where to start. What is important is that if everyone does what they can, even small changes can soon add up.

A good place to start is to find out what your carbon footprint is. You can then see where you are using the most carbon and put in place measures to lower your carbon footprint. You can use a carbon calculator to help you work out your footprint. There are carbon calculators for both individuals and organisations.

Ideas and suggestions for organisational change
  • Appoint a person or a group of people to form a sustainability team, and also get your board or trustees involved.
  • Consider every aspect of your organisation, from the supply chains to the projects you run. Are they all working towards the same goal of sustainability?
  • Draw up sustainability criteria for use when sourcing goods and services
  • Commit to becoming an environmentally responsible organisation, see our template environmental policy for more information
  • Think about adopting energy saving measures in your building; insulation, double/triple-glazed windows, switching to a zero-carbon energy providers, LED lighting or install motion-activated light switches
  • Consider the impact of your facilities; do you have water efficient toilets, how can you reduce wasting water, switch to eco-friendly cleaning products, provide re-usable cups, plates, etc., and recycling and compost bins?
  • Can old or out of date electronics be recycled?
  • Encourage eco-friendly travel alternatives – can you provide incentives for staff to take the train, bus, cycle or walk—rather than driving?
  • Do you allow remote or home working to cut down on travel?

These are just a few suggestions to start you off, depending on the circumstances of your organisation there may also be other changes you could consider.

One of the most powerful ways to support action on climate change is to talk to others about what you are doing and share your knowledge and experiences of making changes in your charity.

For further support and information take a look at our Climate Change Toolkit.

Share your stories

Let us know what you are doing to tackle climate change.