Men's Shed seeking workshop space

Founded last year, the local Men’s Shed meets every Thursday from 10am to 12pm.

It is one of hundreds of similar schemes operating in towns and cities across the UK.

Along with providing a meeting place for members, Men’s Sheds often cater for a number of creative pursuits such as woodwork or painting.

The local group currently meets in the Carrickfergus Community Forum premises, which this week moved from the Town Hall to a new space at 31 Lancasterian Street.

But while the new venue does offer more space, it does not suit the specific requirements of members.

James Carroll, public relations officer for Carrick Men’s Shed said: “There’s been a big improvement in the local group since we first set up last year, and we’ve grown from four or five members to 20.

“At the minute it’s still just a bit of a talking shop. We do things like arts and crafts and have an allotment up at Eden, but a lot of our members have expressed an interest in activities like woodturning.

“What we really need is a workshop space where we can use machinery. The Community Forum premises just isn’t suitable for these kinds of activities.”

As a non-profit organisation that relies heavily on funding, the search for a more suitable premises has been somewhat hampered by high rental costs.

The group are appealing for anyone who may know of a suitable venue to contact Men’s Shed secretary Ian Mahood on 07852524855.