Mr. Barry Sheridan:

The Irish Men's Sheds Association is a community based initiative, which has managed to address a key challenge that health service providers, educators, and others have been struggling with for years, how to get men involved. The rapid growth since the first shed opened in Tipperary in August 2009 to approximately 350 sheds across the whole of the island of Ireland demonstrates an unmet need for which the shed model has been a highly appropriate response. Men's sheds share characteristics with, but are distinct from, men’s groups, peer support groups and clubs, and offer an unique opportunity to men in rural communities in Ireland to improve their quality of life. With origins in Australia, the Irish movement has grown to serve 10,000 men each week in 350 community across all four provinces.

We define a men's shed as a community based non commercial organisation, which is open to all men, where the primary activity is the provision of a safe, friendly and inclusive environment, where we provide a safe space where men can gather, participate in their community, develop social networks and potentially learn new skills and access information. We have opened 89 sheds in the past 12 months, that is 1.5 sheds per week. Every one of the Thirty-two Counties in Ireland has a minimum of four to five sheds. The Irish association of men's sheds along with Australia are viewed as world leaders in the men's shed movement internationally.

Let us look at the challenges facing those who live in rural Ireland today.

One of the most significant challenges facing us is social isolation. Preliminary findings from the 2016 census show our population has grown by almost 4% since 2011, however there has been a decline in the rural population in every county. In the 2011 census, it was estimated that 38% of the country’s population lived in rural areas and that 42% of those aged over 65 lived in rural Ireland. We are an aging nation, and current trends show many of our young people migrating to urban centres for employment and other opportunities. Couple this with the growing number of single person households in rural areas, and the continued and growing threat of social isolation becomes very real for many people. Community organisations such as IMSA address these issues and break down some of those social isolation barriers. Our most recent independent research indicated that 99% of the men surveyed said they met new friends and felt more part of their communities as a result of having men's shed in their local areas.

We are also addressing the challenge of integrating a very diverse population into rural communities. Groups such as IMSA and the Irish Countrywomen's Association, ICA, have a very important role to play. Non-Irish national have brought a wealth of experience and skills to men's sheds across the country. Their experiences have contributed to our success while simultaneously providing those participants with a sense of identity and cohesion within their new communities.

We also have the challenge of maintaining or reviving strong communities. This can be achieved by resourcing community development organisations throughout the country. In communities across the country, local people are concerned about losing locally valued assets such as Garda stations, village pubs and post offices. Due to the links groups such as our have, communities are better integrated, more resilient, stronger and healthier. We encourage local authorities to draw up lists of under-utilised or derelict buildings which could be made available to local community groups who would undertake to insure, repair and maintain in return for a minimal rent arrangement. Working with the Office of Public Works, OPW, local community groups could also seek to repurpose former State buildings, such as rural Garda stations, into community hubs thereby enabling redundant public buildings to thrive again.

One of the major challenge facing Irish society is the health and well being of men. Traditionally, there has been little encouragement for men to take an interest in their own health and well-being. Most men are reluctant to talk about their emotions and this means they often do not ask for help. Because of this, many men’s health suffers. They drink more, take more risks and suffer more from isolation, loneliness and depression. Good health is based on many factors, including feeling good about oneself, being productive and valuable to one's community, connecting to friends, and maintaining an active body and an active mind. The National Men's Health Policy 2008 to 2013 was the first policy in the world to identify that a model such as the IMSA model was an ideal way to promote men’s health and well-being in community settings. Of the men who participated in our recent research, 95% said being part of a men's shed helped keep them healthy and 83% said the shed was a place where they could find information on health issues.

Losing skills in rural Ireland is a major challenge. The ability to share and learn new skills and engage men in lifelong learning is something educators and other organisations have struggled with for years. Shed members, as a group, have acquired a lifetime of skills, knowledge and wisdom, and we need to think of creative ways of harnessing and sharing this resource. IMSA strongly supports the notion that younger generations may learn from older adults in public communities and educational settings. Sharing different perspectives through learning can benefit all generations by enhancing social and emotional skills, and can promote personal contacts, exchange and respect between generations. Every day of the week, we see younger men interacting with older men and, sometimes, it is informal learning. However, informal learning can lead to formal learning, to the benefit of everyone in rural Ireland.

The potential exists, and our vision states we would like all men, regardless of age, have the opportunity to participate in a community men's shed. Sheds have an important role in reducing isolation and improving well-being and have relevance in a number of policy areas including health, social inclusion, education, aging, environment and community development. Increasingly, we are seeing enhanced supports from local development companies, education and training boards and local authorities in various counties. These local supports, coupled with the ongoing supports, networking and guidance IMSA can provide through our sheds, is essential to the sustainability of our model throughout the country. We would like the association to be a vital conduit in assisting sheds and their members in accessing appropriate supports and we promote the inter-agency model of co-operation in fulfilling this role.