Outreach Projects- September 2025-October 2026

·        October 2025- Ageing Well Event- For Bexley’s Silver Sunday celebration and information event, members of the group delivered a "Build Your Own Herb Planter" activity for the local community. Participants assembled mini herb planters from kit form and planted their own herbs to take home. The session was well received, providing a hands-on, creative activity while encouraging social interaction and conversations about gardening and wellbeing.

·        April 2026- Day Centre Planters- In April, the Shed made three planters for Age UK Bexley’s day care centre in Sidcup. The planters were designed to help clients at the day centre safely access and enjoy the outdoor space.

Amanda Coshall- Head of Day Services, stated:

 “Men in Sheds very kindly made bespoke planters for Sidcup Day Centre, which also act as a discreet and effective safety barrier within our garden. This helps to prevent our Service Users living with dementia from inadvertently leaving the secure garden area, while maintaining a welcoming and attractive outdoor environment.

Since the planters have been in place, our Service Users have been able to enjoy the garden safely and with greater freedom, which has been hugely beneficial to their overall wellbeing. The opportunity to spend time outdoors, enjoy the fresh air and experience the sensory smells, colours and textures of the flowers and other features incorporated into the planters provides valuable cognitive and sensory stimulation.

These benefits would not have been possible without the planters, and we are extremely grateful to Men in Sheds for their time, skill and generosity. Their contribution has made a genuine and lasting difference to the lives of the people who attend Sidcup Day Centre.”

·        May 2026- University of London workshop- In May the shed delivered a bird feeder building workshop at the University of London as a part of their staff wellbeing week. Participants assembled bird feeders which they were able to take home with them.

·        July 2026- The group participated in Belvedere Community Centre’s Open Day in July, running a Human Fruit Machine game and a children’s painting activity. Both attractions proved highly popular with attendees, with enthusiastic participation throughout the day and plenty of prizes won.

·        July 2026- Men in Sheds built a bespoke, lockable, and moveable tool board for St Columba’s Boys’ School. The board provides secure storage for tools used by students participating in the school’s bicycle repair programme.

·        September 2026- The Shed completed three bespoke Little Libraries for Northumberland Heath Primary School. Commissioned to create three book-swap libraries inspired by the winning entries from a school design competition, the team transformed children's drawings into functional pieces that encourage reading. Designs based on an apple, the house from Up, and a floral-inspired concept were brought to life, resulting in unique and engaging furniture for pupils to enjoy.