Shed Life helping residents tackle loneliness and isolation

It’s now a community-led space, run by a team of local residents.

The Shed Life team of facilitators, support workers, and volunteers have been professionalising - building their skills and knowledge through a bespoke training programme we have developed, HOT (Hands on Training).

The programme covers all aspects of delivering a community-led space, including policies and procedures, legal frameworks, and facilitating creative workshops and arts-led engagement.

Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, we are now able to run continuous training, developing team building and leadership skills, to ensure we provide safe, creative, and engaging wellbeing activities, especially targeting residents experiencing loneliness, mental health issues, or living with a disability or long-term conditions.

Susie Miller Oduniyi is excited about the impact the shed has had on residents' lives (Image: Humourisk)

Learning to manage our bright, accessible shed has been an empowering experience for the team and all our members, here is how just a few members feel it has impacted their lives, in their own words: "I've made lots of lovely friends.

"The shed has helped the community come together to make friends, chat, take part in arts and crafts, and feel loved."

"It’s improved my mental health as it’s therapeutic for me.

"It makes me feel good, it makes me glow, and my confidence is topped up now."

"I meet new people and enjoy what I do in the shed. I help people the best I can."

"It gets me out meeting new people from different places and making friends.

"It’s got me out of a rut."

"Today is my day off and there’s no place better to be than here."

"I’ve made friends, it’s a nice atmosphere and full of really good people.

It’s made me happier, and has helped me deal with my mums death."

"Everyone spreads love and joy.

"It’s like a safe haven, really."

"It has changed so many people’s lives and there's a lot of wonderful people.

"They come here and get a lot of help, especially on Wednesday drop-in.

"People get happy when they get here."

Join us at the Shed Life drop-in, Wednesdays 10am-12pm, for arts and crafts, music, dancing, and karaoke!

Or for a quiet, relaxing session, join us at Shed Talk, Thursdays 10am-1pm, for board games and conversation.

All welcome, the sessions are free and provide refreshments.

To find out more about Shed Life at the Thames Community Hub, visit: humourisk.co.uk or email Susie: humourisk@gmail.com.

• Susie Miller Oduniyi is artistic director at Humourisk CIC.