'Without it I'm alone' - devastation after Men in Shed project in Devon told to close

  • Watch as Claire Manning meets some of the men who volunteer at the charity

Volunteers at a charity in Devon have said they've been left with nowhere to go after being told they must leave their premises.

Members of the Men in Sheds project in Exeter were given just two weeks to leave their workshop after Age UK told them it was facing "financial challenges" and could no longer pay for the building.

The group was set up 15 years ago and supports around 50 retired men by giving them companionship and a sense of purpose.

Members can go to the workshop to meet new people, all while fixing tools and machinery and making products to raise money for Age UK.

Ray Smart said he wouldn't know what to do without the charity. Credit: ITV West Country

Ray Smart, one of the volunteers at Men in Sheds, started coming to the group following the death of his wife.

He told ITV News West Country that he feels alone when he's not volunteering at the charity.

"It's like, when I come home in the afternoon, I open my door and I shout, 'is there anybody there?' But there is nobody there," he said.

"Without Men in Sheds, I don't know what to do. It means everything. Without it, I'm alone."

Exeter's Men in Sheds has been based in a newly renovated yard and garage on Wardrew Road, in St Thomas for the past 18 months.

Before that, the group ran a shop near Exeter Bus Station where volunteers said they made around £50,000 per year.

Volunteers at Exeter's Men in Sheds are currently looking to find an alternative, affordable premise so the group can continue independently as a voluntary organisation.

The repair shop has been based in a former builder's yard and garage on Wardrew Road for the past eighteen months. Credit: BPM Media

Martyn Liddon is one of the founders of Men in Sheds, and said he hopes the group "will come alive again".

"I've seen Men in Shed grow and prosper, and have seen lots of happy people. That's the main thing," he said.

"All the guys that used to come in, whether it was a Monday, Wednesday, whenever, went home smiling, laughing, had a good time, had a joke.

"Hopefully Men in Sheds won't die."

In a statement, a spokesperson for Age UK said: "Age UK Exeter has faced a number of financial challenges which have been compounded by the coronavirus pandemic and the current cost of living crisis.

"Despite our best efforts, we're very sorry to have made the difficult decision to close the Men in Sheds operation at Wardrew Road as unfortunately, we can no longer afford to run this in its current model.

"We feel this is the right thing to do in order to reflect and work out what is needed for a scheme like this in future."