Poynton Men in Sheds gives a renewed sense of purpose
After moving to Hampson Court, a Retirement Living community in Hazel Grove, Greater Manchester, with his wife June, Geoff decided to continue his role as Co-Founder and honorary treasurer of Poynton Men in Sheds, which began over 9 years ago.
It was set up by Geoff, along with two fellow Poynton Town Councillors, to help tackle feelings of loneliness in men. The idea was that through meeting people and having someone to share their worries with, men would gain a renewed sense of purpose and belonging while working on projects that help the community.
According to one study, participating in hobbies is linked to lower levels of depression and higher life satisfaction, happiness, and self-reported health in people aged 65 and over. Initiatives like Men in Sheds help to encourage new hobbies, new friendships and physical activity.
A place for men to connect, converse and create
Geoff says: “I have been asked many times to sum up the work we do and the answer is the same for Men in Sheds groups all over the country—it’s a community space for men to connect, converse and create. The activities are often like those of any garden shed but for groups of men to enjoy together. They help reduce loneliness and social isolation, and improve wellbeing, but most importantly they’re fun.
“We saw a gap in support for men in the local area and a need for a space for men to be able to get out and do something. Men tend to find it trickier to make friends so we hoped the Shed would become a place for local men to bond, whilst also learning some new skills in the process. Coming up to ten years of the Shed I think I can say it’s been working well.”
Poynton Men in Sheds has been involved in a few community projects from building an outside classroom for a local primary school to refurbishing a festive Santa sled that tours the village around Christmas time collecting money for charity.
Geoff adds: “Most of all, we try to encourage our members to invest time in their own personal projects. We have members making all sorts of amazing things from garden benches, a storage box for their family heirlooms to shelves to proudly display their model aircraft collection.”
McCarthy Stone has purchased a number of herb planters and bird boxes made by the group for the communal gardens of Hampson Court, Hazel Grove and Queens View, Bramhall.
Geoff shares the joys of retirement living with McCarthy Stone
Geoff says, “We moved to Hampson Court from another apartment complex as my wife and I loved the idea of moving into a likeminded community and this development gave us just the peace of mind we were searching for.”
“I would definitely recommend McCarthy Stone to other retirees, and I do! Me and House Manager, Iain Skelton, joke that we’re quite the double act when it comes to boasting about Hampson Court and other McCarthy Stone developments. When I’m not busy with Men in Sheds, I’m often out on the road with Iain talking to prospective homeowners about how McCarthy Stone has benefitted me. My wife and I couldn’t imagine ourselves anywhere else.”
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