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06
Aug 2024
Ripon Men's Shed looks forward to a home of its own
Ripon Men's Shed has taken a major step towards securing its long-term future after successfully bidding to buy the premises it uses.
The charitable incorporated organisation, which has rented workshop space at the New Life Church on Water Skellgate since 2021, has been informed that its offer for both the building and the adjacent church has been accepted.
The good news came after four months of hectic fundraising activity and the launch of a gofundme page, which have collectively raised £25,000.
Further fundraising activity is planned and details can be found on the charity's Facebook page.
Ripon Men's Shed manager Barry Sutton told the Stray Ferret:
We are extremely grateful to the New Life Church for the trust that they have shown in us and the community-focused work that we have been doing since we became their tenant three years ago.
We still have some legal loose ends to tie up but, in the meantime, all of our members are looking forward to the future and having a place that we can call our own.
Having that certainty will also mean that we can recruit new members and expand the range of acitivities that we do,
The men’s shed movement, which addresses issues of loneliness and social isolation, has a specific focus on the older male population, but women are welcome too.
Its aim is to improve physical and mental health by providing a safe space in the form of a welcoming friendly workshop where members can make friends and share life skills and experiences.
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