Cowes Men’s Shed was recently treated to a visit from Australian-British actress Miriam Margolyes OBE.
Miriam took time out of her busy schedule to pop into the Shed to meet some of its members and to find out about the valuable work being done for the community across the Isle of Wight.
The Shed
Cowes Men’s Shed has 164 members, a third of whom are women. Open five days a week, the Shed provides a carpentry workshop, a craft/social room, an IT area and gardens with outside seating, raised beds and greenhouses.
Amongst other things, the Shed takes on projects for other charities and good causes and targets social isolation across the Isle of Wight.
Inquisitive
Miriam enjoyed a chat with horticultural apprentice Jake about the gardens at the Shed and asked various questions about the plants being grown there for sale.
During her visit, Miriam was presented with a wooden pot, turned on one the lathes by Geoff. Miriam was delighted and described it as ‘beautiful’.
A big fan
Miriam explained that she thought the whole project, started by Storeroom2010 in 2018, was ‘brilliant’ and said that, if she lived on the Island, she would be a regular visitor.
Having been so impressed with her visit, Miriam kindly made a donation to the Shed before leaving.
Project Leader, Adam, said,
“It was wonderful that Miriam was able to meet members and see that we welcome people from all walks of life, having a laugh with others and making a difference to their wellbeing.
“It’s clear that being in a safe environment can really help them to talk about the things they’ve been going through.”
Cowes Men’s Shed continues to receive funding from the National Lottery Community Fund and others. The Shed can be contacted on (01983) 209734 or [email protected]
News shared by Adam on behalf of Cowes Men’s Shed. Ed
