What does Men`s Shed mean to me?

I first found out how devasting impact Alzheimer's disease can cause a family in the early 83 when my father was diagnosed with having a rare form of hereditary pre-senile dementia. Also known as Alzheimer`s.

Alzheimer`s is a devastating diagnosis that tore my family apart & left us all forever cursed. within the next ten years I would lose My father Clayton his brother Colin & his sister Anne to the deadly disease. My father was just 46 years old when he passed away.

Fast forward to 2003 by then I was 37 years young, when I suffered the first of 4 strokes that left me lying in a hospital bed completely paralysed down my left-hand side. That day I will never forget. It was Easter Sunday 2003. And it was the day my life changed forever.

Not only did I have to find the strength to regain any sort of movement in my battered body. Having faced significant trauma & adversity. I also had to find the courage to re-build my life after my old employer had decided on my behalf & without negotiation that my entire working life was deemed well & truly over.

I had been the sort of man who from the time I left school at 17 had always worked. Having to be told that I was no longer of any use. To be tossed on the garbage heap of life. No more the bread winner. The days spent Working hard to put food on the table for my family was well & truly over.

Replaced instead by a life based upon benefits. was way harder to take and more crushing to the ego than any of my newfound disabilities or impairments.

In 2016 just when I thought it was safe to venture back in the water, I suffered yet another Stroke but this time it was focused neither left nor right but right down the centre. Which affected me so much more emotionally than any of the others. & I found myself unable to accept the news that I had succumbed to yet another stroke.

Just like before the only source found was stress. Having found out that both my brother & Sister had been diagnosed with Alzheimer`s the same as my father. In March 2017 I lost my Brother aged 46 followed a month later by my sister.

In those days there was no such thing as Men Sheds let alone any kind of Mental Health Counselling or Wellbeing.

It was only my positive attitude to life that kept me from succumbing to all the bad moments in my life.

For myself I have learnt that Men sheds could be a way of helping others overcome adversity. The power to make life changing adjustments by providing social & therapeutic activities, structure & comradeship.

To me the main aim of Men sheds should be to help Combat loneliness, end social isolation & ultimately prevent suicide(s) from occurring.

A `health through stealth` approach in order to help support life changing adjustments made following periods of extreme trauma & adversity.