A community group based in Cumbria recently celebrated its first anniversary. 

The Houghton Men's Shed is a workshop space, located at Gosling Sike, and offers individuals the opportunity to improve their building and repair skills while socialising and making new friends.

The fifth of its kind to open in Cumbria, has hosted sessions every Friday for the past 12 months, providing a supportive environment for individuals aged 18 and above to learn practical skills, boost their wellbeing, and foster friendships.

Men's Sheds provide a supportive environment for individuals aged 18 and above to learn practical skills, boost their wellbeing, and foster friendships.

The workshops use a combination of donated, recycled, and provided materials, with surplus materials from construction sites supplied by the organisation Rebuild.

On September 22, 2025, the group celebrated its first year since opening, in which time it has has grown to be an important hub for the local community.

On Facebook, Cumbria Wildlife Trust wrote: "It provides a space for people to take part in practical and fulfilling activities, make new friends and support local communities.

"Our regular attendees meet on Friday mornings at the Gosling Sike workshop. They have a chat and a brew, and produce items like bug hotels and swift boxes, both for us and for other local organisations. They also have the opportunity to share their own skills and knowledge, from wood turning to 3D printing.

"We'd love to have even more people join us (and we've had lots of enquires), we're just limited by the size of the shed at the moment!"

Gosling Sike manager Adam McGinley, who runs the shed, said: "It's been a hugely rewarding and well received project to get off the ground and to see it develop over the last 12 months has been amazing. We have plans to improve even more over the next year – watch this space!"

The concept of Men’s Sheds started in Australia in 1999 and has now spread around the world, with 2,000 Sheds in 2020.

For further inquiries or to notify the team of your attendance, contact Adam and the Gosling Sike team at volunteering@cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk.