Ballyduff Men’s Shed
THE Ballyduff Men’s Shed is the brainchild of a small number of men who approached the BUDS Family Resource Centre looking for help. The manager and staff were extremely supportive with their time and in providing the group with meeting rooms and the all-important tea and coffee during the many sessions held in the early days.
There are currently ten active members associated with the shed which was established in March 2015 on a site adjacent to the local church in the middle of the village. From the initial green field site, a dedicated shed was built to house the project. It took over eighteen months to build and secure electricity, but it’s now fully operational.
The main activities revolve around the workshop where the group make bird boxes, bee boxes, kennels, picnic tables and a steady supply of kindling. The men also restore old furniture, including garden furniture, while they also make attractive window boxes for the annual ‘Village in Bloom’ event.
The men have really grasped the opportunity to complete some training as part of shed activities: computers, manual handling, and health and safety course have all been enthusiastically completed. Net making course are next in the pipeline which will be starting very soon – all with the aim of reviving the dying craft of making fishing nets. Cookery and horticulture are also on the top of the list in the future.
There’s a considerable interest in gardening and horticulture and the men are currently working on getting a Polly-tunnel erected on the adjacent site in the near future. This will hopefully be of interested to other men who might be encouraged to join the shed and who have little interest in workshop activities. The overall aim is to broaden the choice of activities available to members as much as possible.
One of the most popular activities of the shed is the weekly ‘Men’s Shed Breakfast’ which is held every Friday morning in BUDS Family Resource Centre. The food is excellent and the company is always good. If you would like more information about Ballyduff Men’s Shed or would simply like to come and have breakfast, just drop in to the centre or contact Anthony on 087 4132623.