A year of outreach: Oct 2025-October 2026

7 Outreach Projects Completed

Our members have been busier than ever, completing seven outreach projects that supported schools, care settings, local organisations, and community art initiatives. Through these hands-on sessions and bespoke builds, the Shed reached an additional 72 people across the year—our highest number yet.

November 2024 – Smerdon Day Centre

We kicked off the year with a festive activity session at Smerdon Day Centre, supporting adults with additional needs and disabilities. Members helped participants create and decorate handmade Christmas ornaments, bringing creativity and seasonal joy to the centre.

January–March 2025 – Lime Wood Primary School

At the request of the headteacher, members returned to Lime Wood Primary School to complete a special commission: a large golden display tree. This beautiful piece now proudly showcases the names of pupils who receive the Headteacher’s Award.

March 2025 – Smerdon Day Centre

We were delighted to return to Smerdon in the spring to assemble a wheelchair-accessible planter and bird boxes alongside the centre’s gardening team, helping make their outdoor space more inclusive and wildlife-friendly.

May 2025 – Adelaide Care Home

Members created flat-pack bird box kits for residents to assemble and decorate. These will be installed in the care home garden, offering residents an ongoing connection with nature.

May 2025 – The Exchange, Erith (“The Herds” Project)

As part of the wider Herds art programme, our members helped local residents assemble flat-pack hedgehog houses. These will be placed throughout public green spaces in North Bexley, providing essential habitats for local hedgehogs, a species increasingly in need of protection.

July 2025 – Age UK Bexley Rosemary Cafés

We were thrilled to deliver sessions for the Rosemary Cafés in Sidcup and Belvedere, supporting carers and those living with dementia. Each pair built a bird box to take home, free of charge, a simple project that sparked joy and creativity.

June–September 2025 – Shenstone School & Apex Contractors

Our largest project of the year!

Apex Contractors generously donated timber from their construction site at the new Shenstone School (for students with severe or complex learning difficulties). Using these materials, our members crafted:

• A wheelchair-accessible picnic bench

• Planters

• A bug hotel

• A garden seat

Members also enjoyed a special site visit in June to see the new school before opening.

In recognition of the team’s hard work—completed voluntarily—Apex donated £500 to the Shed, writing:

“Despite their hard work, they declined any payment for their time, so we felt it was only right to make this donation in recognition of their valuable contribution.”— Apex Social Value Lead