Men’s Shed “a lifesaver” for people with mental health problems in Newtownabbey

Meet the Newtownabbey community group that has become “a lifeline” for older men in the area suffering from mental health issues and loneliness.

Newtownabbey Men’s Shed, run by Karen Tufts and Gordon Neale, has become a haven for men in the community to follow their passions while feeling like they belong.

When Karen was approached by Antrim Town Hall and Newtownabbey to step in for a brief period after Men’s Shed lost its funding and was forced to close, never expecting that three years later he would call the group his “home away from home”.

speaking to belfast liveGordon said: “A little over three years ago, I became president and I went to council and told them this project would fail and we needed help; the men here weren’t up to date on paperwork and I said I needed help.

“Luckily we got Karen on a short loan for a couple of weeks and she’s been with us ever since. It was the help of Karen and her husband George that kept the place going.”

Newtownabbey Men’s Shed was established in May 2016 with four or five initial members and operated out of the Valley Business Center before Karen secured funding to allow them to move to larger premises during the lockdown.

Karen said: “Every time we opened up again we had dropped to around 35 members and it was sad to see, but now we’re back to 51 members so it’s growing again.

“The Men’s Shed was created for older men who are in that group where it’s harder for them to socialize and make friends and give them a place to come and meet people while learning new skills, it was created to address mental health.”

After an accident left Karen unable to work, she experienced mental health issues of her own, which was part of the reason she was so determined to get Men’s Shed off the ground again, as she understood its importance to the members. .

“Even in my own experience, I found that I had lost all confidence, the shed has drawn us all in and I got my life back and found myself enjoying things again,” added Karen.

Another part of the reason Karen’s heart is so invested in the community group is that she lost her own father to suicide when she was 24 years old.

He continued: “I know the impact mental health has on people and The Shed is great for that and getting people out of isolation and we really are one big family.

“Even outside the shed, we all call and check in with each other and if someone has something to do, we all come together to be there for them – it’s a home away from home.”

Gordon added: “We’ve had some people affected by suicide or depression come to us and you can tell from the moment they walk in the door that the light is gone from their eyes and they’re just looking for someone to help them.”

“After a couple of months here, you can see them coming back to themselves.”

Newtownabbey Men’s Shed aims to offer every opportunity for its members, whether it’s just having a friendly face to chat with or creative woodworking or 3D printing projects.

Karen said: “We were able to secure the House Executive’s laptops so we could also upskill some of the guys who didn’t have any computer skills at all and that was a blessing during lockdown.

“It really helped with isolation as people still had contact, which was brilliant.”

“We try to cover everything: copper work, leather work, pyrography, artwork. We teach electronics classes that are great because when one person makes it work, it’s a miracle,” Gordon continued.

“We also do a lot of work for the community with schools and children’s hospices.”

Both Karen and Gordon called the Men’s Shed “a lifesaver” for several of their members.

Karen said: “Every time I would come here, there would be queues out the door some days because they just needed someone to talk to and if I could identify something that was going on for them, I could link them together to provide support that maybe they didn’t have before.

“Seeing how far he’s come and how much he’s grown in such a short amount of time is unbelievable. I think it’s that feeling of not wanting to let the guys down because you know how important it is to them and that gives you the passion to keep going.”

Gordon added, “He’s very open and when I bring the guys in, I talk to them about myself, you find out they’ll also talk to you about the problems they have and they bring everything out into the open, which makes it a lot easier for them.”

Karen and Gordon have not only witnessed the importance of the group in the wide newtown abbey community, members also shared their appreciation for Men’s Shed, with one commenting that “it gives me a purpose in life.”

Another member, David, added: “When I first came here, I was very shy, but now I’ve opened up.

“I enjoy the company – I can come here and work on the 3D computer and do the bronze work and if anyone wants to learn how to do the imaging I’ll show them.”

Speaking about the future of Men’s Shed, Karen said, “We have a passion for our community and Men’s Shed has that stigma of being for older men and we want to break that so we’ve opened the doors to anyone over the age of 18 and we’re looking to bring in some younger guys because there are people here who have incredible broadcasting skills.”

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