What’s New
Men’s Sheds of Ontario
Men’s Sheds is based on a simple concept: Improve our members’ physical and mental health through activities men will actually join.
A Men’s Shed offers men an alternate way to re-engage with their community thereby avoiding the feelings of ‘isolation’ that all too often occur after retirement.
A Shed is where you can learn or teach new skills and find new opportunities and interests while making new friends.
A Men’s Shed provides a safe and friendly environment where men can work on meaningful projects. Men work at their own pace, in their own time, in the company of other men improving their own mental health while at the same time giving back to society.
Craftmanship is great, but it’s better when it is shared.
What are Men’s Sheds, and what do they do?
A Men’s Shed provides: “Somewhere to go. Something to do. Someone to talk to.”
It’s a community-based, Not-for-profitt organization that provides a safe and friendly environment where men can work on meaningful projects, at their own pace, in their own time, in the company of other men. It’s a place where some men learn, some teach, and some are happy to watch.
Start your Shed with some help from those who have gone before.
Men’s Shed is a grassroots movement.
There are no hard and fast rules for starting or running a Shed.
You can make it to fit your needs and tastes, but why reinvent the wheel?
We have collected the experience of many sheds worldwide for you to learn from.
Take what fits you best.
Funding your Shed
We know all. Give us the secret handshake and we will share.
We are just kidding. While there is never enough funding for social programs, and it can be competitive to get your share, you do not need to learn the black arts of complex proposal writing to win any.
We are blessed with a funding source reserved for Men’s Sheds in Canada. There are two programs of interest to you.
Recognizing the value of Men’s Sheds in promoting men’s health and wellness micro-grants of up to $1,000 are available to assist with the start-up costs of new Men’s Sheds in Canada!
These Start-Up Grants, offered through HelpAge Canada, are available to groups of two or more men or community organizations interested in starting a Men’s Shed in their local area.
Funding of up to $10,000 is also available to established Men’s Sheds to assist with the costs of time-limited projects that support their goals of connecting older men and their communities.
These will not be enough for you to find a workshop space, collect a bunch of tools and experts in their operation, then open your doors, but it will help get you started to collect a team to figure out the rest.
Be aware that 900 out of the 1,000 Men’s Sheds in Australia have found a way to get their floor space for free, where the shed members pay for power, heat, and insurance. This will not be easy.
