Wharfedale Men’s Shed is honoured to receive the £1,000 top prize in Skipton Building Society’s 2024 Community Giving scheme! This incredible donation will fund essential tools and materials, empowering our projects for the Otley community. Huge thanks to Skipton customers and supporters for voting for us! Secretary Bob Miles expressed our gratitude with two handcrafted snowmen for Skipton’s Otley branch.

“Wharfedale Men’s Shed brings men together to share skills, build projects, and foster friendships while giving back to the community. With plans to expand into a new workshop, we aim to grow our impact and welcome even more members.”

“Monday at the Men’s Shed saw Loz, Bob E, and Michael tackle a donation of nail-ridden scrap timber from Tite-Fix. Armed with stubbornness and humor, they turned the chaotic heap into trugs, a planter, and some delightfully odd wooden mushrooms, proving that even hopeless wood can spark creativity and a good laugh.”

Hedgehogs in the UK face a dramatic decline due to habitat loss, road mortality, and pesticides. Local charities like Prickly Pigs Hedgehog Rescue play a vital role in rescue, rehabilitation, and raising awareness, but they need your support to help protect these beloved creatures.

Not even torrential rain could stop Malcolm, Loz, and Bob as they tackled the day’s work under a leaky gazebo. With tea in hand, wet boots, and plenty of Yorkshire grit, the trio embraced the downpour with humor and determination, proving nothing can dampen Shedder spirit.

The Eccleshill Freemasons’ Lodge has kindly donated a very generous £1,500 to our Shed. This will be used for the purchase of tools and towards our new Shed which we are hoping to build over the next couple of years. The story was published in the Ilkley Gazette.

Wharfedale Men’s Shed crafted a special Barn Owl nesting box in partnership with Wildlife Friendly Otley, dedicating it to the memory of Chris Cullum. Installed on the Denton Estate, the box quickly became home to a pair of barn owls, resulting in five fluffy chicks—a heartwarming tribute to both wildlife and friendship.

Wharfedale Men’s Shed created a vibrant wooden elephant named Clara for the Leeds 2023 ‘Hidden Stories’ project, inspired by circus elephants parading through Otley. After delighting visitors at the Courthouse, Clara found a permanent home in a sensory garden for children with disabilities.