Causeway Coast & Glens Council to meet men’s shed representatives to discuss funding

At a full council meeting on Tuesday, August 6, Councillor Kathleen McGurk (SF) said she had received emails from representatives of the Be Safe Be Well men’s shed, confirming that an application for National Lottery funding had been unsuccessful.

“This has left them at short notice with a major gap in their funding to deliver the project,” Cllr McGurk said. “So I wanted to get council involved in facilitating some sort of outcome for them that means the project won’t be lost.

“The project runs five men’s sheds across the Limavady and Benbradagh DEAs that have 178 members. A lot of what they’re involved in is social prescribing and it’s a safe space for these men with mental health issues to to have a social contact.

“They did come into council looking for a short-term loan. Obviously that’s something that I don’t think we could facilitate given our own financial situation, but council can play a role here in facilitating the group to find short -term funding.

“I ask the council to facilitate a meeting between the Be Safe Be Well and key members of council – the chief executive officer, our funding manager and our community planning manager – to see whether it can identify any short -term funding that would cover core costs."

Chief Executive Officer David Jackson said he would “certainly be happy to facilitate that meeting”.

He added: “I would probably add the Community Development head of service to the list and I would be thinking along the lines of Community Finance Ireland, who can provide short -term loans in terms of an initial fix.”

SDLP Alderman Michael Coyle welcomed a meeting and said it should be open for all men’s shed organisers across the council area.

He concluded: “Be Safe Be Well have supported five men’s shed in the borough, but we also have [sheds in] Dungiven and Ballykelly.

“It has been very difficult for all men’s sheds and I’m glad to hear that council is going to support a meeting with Be Safe Be Well, but other men’s sheds should be included in that.”