People who make a difference: the man installing carpentry "huts" to fight against loneliness

Philip Jackson left the UK aged 22 and returned aged 67. During this period, he had worked in construction in Thailand and Australia. When he retired and returned to his native Barnsley, Jackson felt "like an outsider" in his own country.

"I had a strong Australian accent, and everyone I knew when I was younger had moved away or died. He was alone. And he wasn't the only one. "I had never seen such loneliness," Jackson says. "He there were so many lonely old men, especially."

Searching for something to do, Jackson became a member of English Heritage and traveled the country, visiting castles. He applied for jobs, but no one wanted to hire a man in his 60s. He read about the suicide rate in Barnsley, which is above the national average, and was appalled, but not surprised. "When I went home, he said, I saw how the industry had been decimated. The factory where I did my apprenticeship had closed."

Jacks on, who is 78, recalls an initiative he heard about when he was abroad. The Australian Men's Shed Association is a collective of over 1,000 sheds aimed at combating loneliness through communal woodworking.

Jackson decided to create some one in Barnsley. In 2014, with the help of a small grant from the National Lottery, Jackson secured premises from Barnsley Council and carpentry equipment through donations for The Barnsley Men's Shed. He then created the "She-Shed", a community space for women. Shed members range from 22 to 87 and meet once a week: men on Tuesdays, women on Wednesdays. It's a heterogeneous group: ex-miners, ex-tradesmen, ex-housewives. There's even a retired carpenter, which is handy.

"People apply to join the Sheds," he says, "and we have interviews . We tell people to come over for a cup of coffee and a chat. Look around the shed. If they are happy with the environment and the people, they are more than welcome to continue. , from birdhouses and plant boxes to wheelbarrows. “A guy made a working wind turbine for his backyard,” Jackson explains. “And a lighthouse, with a flashing light at the top. I'm sure the neighbors loved that one. »

But the Shed is much more than birdhouses and windmills. "It's like the shed in the back of your backyard," Jackson says, "but all your friends are there. It's a break from people's weekly routines. It gets them out and talking to like-minded people." /p>pageElements.ImageBlockElement" class="dcr-10khgmf">