Three members of Wharfedale Men’s Shed attended the Otley Volunteer Showcase on 28th June. The event offered valuable networking opportunities and highlighted the strong community spirit in Otley. While sales were quiet, the day was a great success in building connections and celebrating the power of volunteering.

Thanks to support from the Leeds Together Grant Fund and Otley Action for Older People, our Men’s Walking Rugby team has new sports equipment! We welcome all reasonably active older men—no experience needed. Join us Mondays at 12:30pm on Garnett’s Field, Otley, for fun, fitness, and friendship.

When Jean brought in her 1960s Olive wood music box from the Holy Land, it was missing its original interior. With Bob M’s Rowan wood and John’s craftsmanship, a new inner box was made and finished in shellac. A family heirloom restored—and in time for Christmas memories to be shared.

Wharfedale Men’s Shed had a fantastic day at the Otley Green Fair, selling £113.37 of handmade wooden items and connecting with the local community. Our Marble Run drew plenty of smiles before the drive shaft gave way — a great reminder of the fun and purpose that community events bring.

Bob M, Stuart, and Bob E built a bespoke red cedar kiosk for Jo in Menston, who sells plants to raise funds for the MS Trust. Using donated materials and teamwork, they crafted and assembled the kiosk on-site—delighting Jo with the finished result. A proud project for Wharfedale Men’s Shed.

To support the expansion of its “pay as you feel” food offering, Otley Community Larder teamed up once again with Wharfedale Men’s Shed to construct eight custom planters—including two striking three-tiered designs. Faced with space constraints at the workshop, Shed members pre-built the planter sides for easy transport and assembly. Despite delivering on a cold, rainy Monday, the team installed all eight in time for the 31st May group planting session, where vegetables and edible flowers will be sown to enhance the larder’s fresh food supply.

WMS joined the Colton Methodist Church plant sale, where Malcolm, Loz, and John shared Shed-made wooden crafts and a crowd-pleasing marble run. The event was full of friendly faces and great conversation, highlighting the power of community and shared purpose. A big thank you to our hosts for a wonderful morning. We raised a total of £113.87 for our WMS funds.

Kate White MP visited Wharfedale men’s shed on Monday 7th April 2025. She met many of our members and watched them as they worked on various projects. Katie was very interested in our plans for using the section of the Tittybottle Park Oak and particularly our plans to build a new workshop.