A new community shed in Saltash has opened its membership and will be up and running in three weeks.

The shed, which is housed on the former K2 site next to The Core youth project off Church Road in Saltash, held an open day to show off their new work shed. 

Loosely based initially on the Australian ‘man shed’ model offering men a social space to keep busy post retirement and look after their mental health, it evolved to be an intergenerational project alongside The Core. 

The project is looking to set up a community of makers, builders, and friends, all united by a shared passion for craftsmanship and community spirit.

Steve Gerry, honorary secretary describes the shed on the membership page as: ‘a place for personal growth and creative expression’. 

He said: “With access to our fully equipped workshop and the guidance of our experienced mentors, you'll have everything you need to bring your own projects to life and explore new avenues of creativity.”

The Saltash Community Shed will be working alongside The Core to make this creative shed a truly intergenerational asset.
The Saltash Community Shed will be working alongside The Core to make this creative shed a truly intergenerational asset. (Sarah Martin)

Membership is £30 per year, and applications are approved after completion of a mandatory induction session. Invitations to attend an induction session will be sent out on a first come, first served basis and are limited to 6 participants per session. 

Once the induction is successful, then membership will move to the payment stage. 

The project has been given a variety of tools that have been recycled and reused, but are still on the look out for certain items including dust extraction equipment important for wood working in the unit says Chris Bailey, a founding member and Chair of the group. 

Tools and unused equipment has been donated to the project; recycling and reusing is key part of this project's ethos.
Tools and unused equipment has been donated to the project; recycling and reusing is key part of this project's ethos. (Sarah Martin)

They have been gifted a Resin 3D printer which is great for one-off prototypes with intricate details, Chris adds. The project tries to recycle as much as possible including reusing offcuts of wood that have been donated. 

With the first open day just around the corner, the project is on the look out for some final bits to get up and running. Anyone who can help with wood glue, varnish, gloss paint, cans of paint (already open is fine) and offcuts of plywood for practising with the laser cutter should get in touch.