John Moores Students’ Union (JMSU) Officers have joined forces with Bootle Tool Shed in Liverpool to take part in Mission: Shoulder to Shoulder by building a buddy bench for the university campus, as part of a nationwide drive to facilitate social connection and 200,000 conversations a year.
Bootle Tool Shed brings men together to share practical skills and provides a space to improve wellbeing, and tackle loneliness and related issues. By working shoulder-to-shoulder with the Students’ Union Officers, they are strengthening community ties in Liverpool.
This is part of an ambitious nationwide initiative where men in sheds – ‘Shedders’ – across the UK are working to help spark 200,000 conversations that can brighten a day, or even change a life.
Men’s Sheds across the country have undertaken Mission: Shoulder to Shoulder, to bring the power of shoulder-to-shoulder conversation to their communities, inspired by how their own work benches help create bench buddies every day at workshops across the UK. Sheds typically cater to older men, a cohort that nationally consumes more alcohol on a weekly basis on average than other cohorts.
As part of Mission: Shoulder to Shoulder, facilitated by alcohol education platform DRINKiQ and the UK Men’s Sheds Association (UKMSA), a unique social experiment observed public benches across the country, and found that a public bench would on average facilitate 5.5 conversations daily, 38.5 weekly, and over 2,002 yearly.
With Shedders creating 100 buddy benches nationally, their benches could facilitate 200,200 conversations per year, providing a perfect seat for the four in five (82%) British people who believe in the power of conversation to make someone’s day better. Despite overwhelmingly believing in the kindness of others (76%), just two in five (42%) would ever strike up a conversation or share a problem with someone they didn’t know, according to consumer polling by DRINKiQ – a number that Shedders wish to change as they get people talking.
JMSU President, Miles, said: “It was brilliant to head down to Bootle Tool Shed and work shoulder-to-shoulder with the Shedders. We were inspired by how the Shed provides the space for connection and conversation around important topics like mental health and alcohol consumption. We hope to replicate these conversations by installing this bench on our campus and would love for it to encourage others to partner up with the Shed or recommend it to a man in their lives!”
Bootle Tool Shed Leader, Eddy Flynn, said: “Having the Students’ Union officers to the Shed to build their bench was a huge success. It was a fantastic day of sharing practical skills and learning from one another. The end result is a amazing and will serve as a catalyst for many of their upcoming events.”
There are now 1,200 Men’s Sheds across the UK, typically – but not exclusively – catering to older men, often over the age of 50. These Sheds provide creative outlets where people can work with their hands and bond with the help of the most important tool in the Shed – the kettle.
The positive impact of community Men’s Sheds on the physical health of their users has been studied. Among the benefits, Shedders have reported that as a result of attending a Shed their alcohol use had decreased or stopped.[3]
DRINKiQ and the UKMSA’s campaigning is a significant part of Diageo’s charitable partnership with the UKMSA. Last year, they launched the Men on A Mission campaign, fronted by Tony Bellew, that called on men to better recognise tipping points within their alcohol consumption and highlighted how positive social outlets like Mens Sheds can help them renew a sense of mission, and improve their wellbeing. Diageo, through its alcohol moderation platform DRINKiQ, has also co-created alcohol moderation workshops with Shedders and the UKMSA, to provide conversation-sparking materials bespoke to Shedders.
To find out more, visit drinkiq.com/shouldertoshoulder.
If you’re interested in joining your local Shed or starting your own Shed, either in your community or at your university, visit: https://menssheds.org.uk/sheds/.