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MEN IN SHEDS are moving out to reach and support more men. The innovative scheme, bringing older men together to learn practical and DIY skills in a supportive ‘sheds’ environment is just one of 39 grants from the Big Lottery Fund this month.

Over £7.3 million will be shared amongst organisations that aim to help those most in need and build stronger communities.

Following a successful pilot in the village of Hartford, Age Concern Cheshire has received a Big Lottery Fund grant of £493,138 to take the aptly named ‘MEN IN SHEDS’ project to areas of Cheshire.

The scheme is designed to give men over the age of 50 who have experienced life-changing events such as retirement, redundancy, ill-health and bereavement a unique chance to socialise and share and learn new skills together.

Thought to be currently the only one of its kind in England, the project is generating interest from people across the country who want to take part, and has even attracted the attention of a similar project in Australia, which wants to partner the scheme.

“We’re so excited we’ve got this money to expand the project,” said Age Concern Cheshire’s Alex Major. “There are a lot of projects for older people, but they mainly appeal to women and men can feel left out. A project like this means they feel special. It helps them to learn new skills but also gives them a chance to make new friends and have a chat– some men drop by just for a cup of tea and to read the papers.”

Also receiving funding today is Hampshire based Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust which receives £236,977 for an England-wide support service for adults and children with brain tumours, their families and carers plus health professionals. Each year 450 families discover their child has a brain tumour and 3,500 people lose their lives.

Working closely with 60 umbrella groups throughout the country, the Trust will provide many different ways of supporting people who often will not be near to anyone in the same situation. Brain Cancer Care will include a free telephone helpline, email and online discussion groups, a symptoms awareness campaign and a diagnosis guide for health professionals.

Carly Hornbuckle, whose daughter Bella aged 5 has been diagnosed with a brain tumour said: “The support provided to me by the Trust has been fantastic. I got a lot out of speaking to them while I was waiting for Bella’s scan results during a very traumatic time – it is great news that this grant will enable the Trust to support many more families who are going through the same experiences as we are.”

Paul Carbury, Chief Executive, Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust said:“We are delighted with the award from the Big Lottery Fund. The funding will enable us to significantly expand our services for the benefit of children and adults who have been diagnosed with a brain tumour. The project will enable more people to get access to our services so we can improve outcomes for patients.”

Sanjay Dighe, Chair of the Big Lottery Fund England Committee said, “Men in Sheds is a great example of the many excellent organisations that BIG funds which provide innovative solutions to reach people and communities and support them at key times in their lives.”

View list of awards (.xls). 

Further Information

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours contact: 07867 500 572
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030
Textphone: 0845 6021 659

Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Notes to Editors

• The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out half the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
• BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since June 2004. The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £24 billion has now been raised and more than 330,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.