Age UK Men In Sheds Group Wins Big to Help Ease Male Isolation

A north London group which helps combat loneliness amongst men by providing a safe space for woodworking and hands-on projects has won a haul of materials in our Community Heroes competition.

Age UK’s Men in Sheds project in Enfield has been named as a monthly regional champion, receiving £1,000 to spend in store with us. This money will be used to purchase new tools and materials for its twice-weekly meetings at John Jackson Library.

“We were overwhelmed to be named as a Selco Community Hero,” said Age UK Enfield Project Manager Mark Huggard.

“The Men in Sheds project aims to improve the well-being and social connections of men, particularly those who are retired or experiencing a life transition.

“We provide a dedicated space where men can come together to engage in various activities, hobbies and projects and learn new skills in the process.

“Our members have made all sorts of items in the last year, including benches, bird boxes, planters, Christmas trees and coasters. The wood, tools and paint we will be able to buy with this fantastic prize will be a huge boost.”

The Enfield Men in Sheds group has around 40 members, who all attend free of charge. Mark and his team plan to visit Selco Enfield store on Crown Road to make their purchases.

This year’s revamped Community Heroes campaign is bigger and better than ever, with a bumper prize pot of £57,500, including 40 individual prizes of £1,000 to spend in store.

Later in the year, an overall winner will also secure the top prize of £10,000 in cash, while second place will scoop £5,000 and third place will receive £2,500.

Any group that supports the local community has until the end of September to enter online.

Simon Humpage, Head of Multi-Channel Marketing at Selco, said: “Community Heroes is our flagship charitable initiative that has supported dozens of good causes over the last four years. We wanted to do even more to support those in need, so this year we have increased both the prize pot and the number of winners significantly.

Congratulations to Age UK on their project being named as one of our first winners. It is easy for men to feel isolated, particularly in later life or after retirement, so it’s brilliant that groups like this exist to give people a chance to get together and do something enjoyable, while learning new skills.

We look forward to supporting many more good causes in the weeks and months to come.”