Local community groups are being encouraged to apply for a share of a new grant fund to help support the set-up of Shed spaces.

Sheds are community workshop spaces where people can come together to take part in practical skills and activities. They are designed and run by their members and provide opportunities for people to share tools, resources and skills in order to create, learn and develop social networks.

Older people’s charity Royal Voluntary Service, with funding from the Asda Foundation, has established a Sheds Grant Fund to provide small scale funding to Sheds who are looking for help with either set up or early stage development costs.

RVS project manager Jo Phillips said, “Shed activities often involve traditional crafts such as joinery, furniture renovation, metal work and mechanics, but each Shed meets the interests of its members and many now are developing a broader range of activities such as gardening, model making, photography or renovation.

“We’re delighted to be able to set up this Grant Fund to give a helping hand to local communities and enable more local community-based Sheds to get up and running.”

The Shed movement follows a blueprint from an Australian project and since the first Men’s Shed opened in the UK six years ago, there are now over 300 in the UK with three new Sheds on average opening a week.

Sheds are often places for older men to come together and work on either individual or community projects – but are now increasingly seeing younger men and women getting involved and benefitting from the social interaction and skill sharing that are at their heart.

Rhodri Walters, Project Manager of Men’s Sheds Cymru, said, “This fund is just what our Men’s Sheds across Wales have been looking for. One attraction of the Men’s Sheds model is that they are relatively simple and inexpensive to run and our members simply need small amounts of revenue, just like the ‘Sheds Grant Fund’ offers, to enable them to cover some basic running costs such as insurance, peppercorn rents and of course the electricity to boil the kettle!”

Grants of between £250 and £1,000 are available from the fund – with applicants encouraged to apply for some of the tools and equipment they need for their activities or ongoing costs such as help with their rent or insurance.

All applications need to come from constituted community groups and must be submitted by the deadline of Sunday July 3 to be considered.

To find out more about Royal Voluntary Service and Asda Foundation Sheds Grant Fund and download the application form and guidance notes, see: royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/sheds