Big Update!!
Having obtained a projected cost for laying a concrete base for the proposed new workshop, WMS applied for an Awards for All Grant and were successful in being awarded £20,000. However, during the assessment period a NEW opportunity had become available which changed completely the direction we now needed to be heading.
That new opportunity was an offer from Otley Freemasons to use a corner of their large car park to erect a workshop. This idea, thinking of cost and time, quickly developed into the use of modular building units and again with the help of Mark Hide (architect) a new planning application was submitted in May’26.
However, we needed £55,000 to purchase the required units and our funds raised to that point amounted to £40,000 so we were £15,000 short of what we needed.
This is where the wonderful members of Ilkley Round Table came to our rescue and awarded us a grant of the balance needed to to make our dream a reality. YES, they gave us the £15,000 which means that we can now go forward and place an order for the modular units we thought were beyond our reach.
Planning approval was received the week after so now we are “all systems go” in putting the final touches needed to relocate within our target year.
We have set ourselves the monumental task of building a new much-needed WMS Building by the end of 2026. We have already been granted planning permission on our new site, but there is a huge list of tasks which need to be performed in the right sequence if our vision is to become reality. Documents, photos and stories relating to this massive effort will be posted here.
WMS New Home Will Benefit Other Local Groups
Wharfedale Men’s Shed (WMS) is set to expand its operations with a new facility at Grove Hill, available 24/7, unlike the Old Courthouse’s single-day restriction. To optimize use, WMS will share space with local groups, including Burley-in-Wharfedale Men’s Shed (BMS), which will access workshop facilities at least one day per week.
The Continuing Search for a New Home
Wharfedale Men’s Shed (WMS) began its journey in March 2019 and has grown with a vision for a purpose-built home. After years of searching and planning, a design for a new workshop has secured planning consent, marking an exciting step toward making this vision a reality.