Greystones Men's Shed

Most men have learned from our culture that they don't talk about feelings and emotions. There has been little encouragement for men to take an interest in their own health and well-being. Unlike women, most men are reluctant to talk about their emotions and that means that they usually don't ask for help.

Probably because of this many men are less healthy than women, they drink more, take more risks and they suffer more from isolation, loneliness and depression. Good health is based on many factors including feeling good about yourself, being productive and valuable to your community, connecting to friends and maintaining an active body and an active mind.

Becoming a member of a Community Men's Shed gives a man that safe and busy environment where he can find many of these things in an atmosphere of friendship. And, importantly, there is no pressure. Men can just come and have a chat and a cuppa if that is all they're looking for.

Members of Men's Sheds can come from all walks of life - the bond that unites them is that they are men with time on their hands and they would like something meaningful to do with that time.

Because men don't often make a fuss about their problems, these problems have consistently been either ignored or swept under the mat by both our health system and our modern society. It's time for a change and the Men's Shed movement is a powerful tool in helping men to once again become valued and valuable memers of our community.

The Irish Men's Sheds Association (IMSA) was set up to act as a resource for Men's Sheds in Ireland and to promote the idea of Independent Community Men's Sheds. The association aims to represent and promote the Shed movement, and to act as a communications hub with this website being a key mechanism.