Below is a small sample of some the projects that we have done to help other charities and organisations.
Planters for Wellness Centre (a place for holistic healing)
We have constructed a number of planters to improve the open space area in Bedford’s Wellness Centre.
Repairing and building flower boxes for the new Espire School next door.
The Espire school next door has recently opened as a place to help teenager with problems accessing education. Their main front entrance was a number of decaying flower boxes, in the process of falling off.
Men In Sheds Bedford has build a number of custom flower boxes and fitted them to the railings, along with repairing the lower sections. This all now looks very spiffing.
Renovations of the Outside Shed building.
The Arts and Crafts Centre asked us to repair the rather dilapidated shed unit as somewhere where they could store stuff in January 2019.
This was quite a project that first started with having to replace the roof and make the whole thing water tight.
After that, all the hardboard inside, along with a lot of rotten wood had to be removed and replaced with plywood. Including the floor.
This took a lot of members quite a few weeks to do. However the Arts and Craft Centre were very pleased and even gave us a large box of biscuits as a thank you.
Repair and Rebuilding of two outdoor benches and a table for the Arts and Crafts Centre.
There were two collapsed benches and a pretty rotten table in the courtyard of the Art Centre. These were comprehensively restored with new wood by Men In Sheds Bedford.
Two Boxes from the Panacea Trust.
There is currently an exhibition at the Bunyan Basement (at Bunyan Museum), which involves the Pottery Class in the Art Centre, and Men In Sheds too.
Last year we built the plinths that the art is displayed upon. This year we (well Stephen) renovated two boxes (pretty much rebuilt them), which were from the Panacea Trust, and are being used “Secret” boxes.
Two rather nice bowls made for training purposes and for raising funds for the charity.
Two Trestles for Upholstery work on Chairs
Two rather fetching trestles were made by Men In Sheds Bedford for upholstery work on chairs for one of the lecturers in the Bedford Art and Craft Centre (where upholstery is taught).
50 Dormouse houses for the Local Woodland Trust
Project description:
Men In Sheds Bedford were asked to construct fifty houses for Dormice by the Woodland trust.
Further information from the Woodland trust
General information about the dormouse surveys
and the national programme on dormice
February 2017
Small Access Ramp for disable child at local Nursery
Project description:
Men In Sheds Bedford were asked to build a suitable ramp so two disable children could move from the classroom to the playground without going via a 300mm step
February 2018
Park Road West Indoor Market Event
Project description:
Men In Sheds Bedford had a stand at the event.
Saturday 11th November 2017
Men In Sheds Bedford Cheese and Wine Event
Project description:
An evening where local councilors and health professional were invited to visit the shed (Annex) and see what the charity is doing, and what we can offer to the wider community.
September 2017
Harpur Trust Event
Project description:
Men In Sheds Bedford had a stand at the event.
September 2017
Clapham Show
Project description:
Men In Sheds Bedford had a stand at the event.
September 2017
Shed at Doctors Surgery for Gardening with Grace
Project description:
We were asked to erect a shed for the charity Gardening with Grace at a doctors surgery at Elstow.
May 2017
Outdoor Compositing Toilet for Gardening with Grace
Project description:
We were asked to install a compositing toilet in an allotment for the charity Gardening with Grace.
April 2017
Pottery Plinths for the Arts and Craft Centre
Project description:
We were asked to make a eight plinths of various sizes for a Pottery Exhibition.
This was quite a big project and required a lot off effort to complete. The tricky bit was that they all had to fit inside each other for storage purposes.
April 2017
Wooden Eggs for Onsite Nursery
Project description:
We were asked to make 80 wooden eggs for an egg hunt for the local Nursery.
The plan was to use recycled wood to make small eggs shapes and then to use Pyrography to engrave them.
Monday 27th March 2017
REMAP Projects
Project description:
REMAP is a charity in which retired engineers construct or modify equipment to enable people with disabilities to live more independent lives. Frequently there is a requirement to manufacture wooden equipment, such as chair and sofa raisers, where the correct woodworking equipment and skills are required.
Men In Sheds completed two plinths to raise a chair.
February 2017
Visit to Heathwood Lower School
Project description:
We were asked to help Year 1 children with their recycling project. We suggested presenting a wormery and some bug houses, and they were very excited about this.
The plan was to use recycled wood from a pallet to create a wooden box to hold three plastic boxes. The three boxes were for the worms, and with a bottom box for the worm tea.
The children filled the wormery with worms and food for them; they also assembled the bug houses, screwing them together with bamboo, sticks, and leaves in them. All in all, a successful lesson and the children had great fun handling the worms.
January 2017
New Laptops
Project description:
We obtained a grant for £700 for two new laptops. These were bought and Men In Sheds Bedford has two new HP laptops for teaching members everything their heart could desire on IT, software, and finding stuff on the internet
January 2017
Community Christsmas Fair
Project description:
Men In Sheds Bedford ran a stall and raised over £30 for the charity at this event. Supporting the local event while spreading information about Men In Sheds.
November 2016
Moving a shed for Gardening with Grace
Project description:
We were asked to take down a large shed for the charity Gardening with Grace and reinstall it on their new allotment at Elstow (including re-roofing the shed); along with a large poly-tunnel.
September 2016
Building a replacement ramp to the Annex
Project description:
The current access to the Annex (Men In Sheds Bedford’s workshop) was not suitable for disabled access.
A grant was obtained for the materials and the Men In Sheds Bedford Team built the ramp.
November 2016
Thurleigh Village Fair
Project description:
Our second project involved making ‘vintage’ funfair games out of pallet wood for the Thurleigh Village Fair.
2015
Installing a Polytunnel for Ridgeway Special School
Project description:
Men In Sheds Bedford were asked to install a polytunnel at a local school.
2015
Clearing the area around the Annex in Arts and Craft Centre
Project description:
Our first community-based project was the creation of a community garden at the Centre. Digging over a bramble strewn patch of earth and making planters out of reused pallets.
2015
