City MenzShed in line for award from UK City Council

News Release

Wellington’s City MenzShed has been short-listed for a one thousand pound reward from Lancashire’s Salford City Council.

The Salford City Council has been advertising internationally for ideas on how to keep its elderly citizens independent. Out of the many proposals from all over the world, the Council has selected the proposal from the Wellington City MenzShed as a potential winner.

City MenzShed Secretary, John Shrapnell, recommended the Menzshed structure as a way of helping the older men in society to improve their independence, self-esteem and their health. The proposal described the ways in which the City MenzShed works and sent pictures of the shed in operation in its new home. Frederick Street.

Mr Shrapnell has now been asked to present the shed’s ideas to Councilors and city leaders in Salford next week. Mr Shrapnell said, “I don’t think they initially realized that the proposal came from the other side of he world”. He said whilst he’d love to go, neither he nor the City MenzShed could afford the airfares. The Salford City Council is now setting up a video link so that a live presentation can be made.

Mr Shrapnell said “Its ironic that the email from the Salford City Council expressing its enthusiasm for our ideas came at the same time as an email from the Wellington City Council rejecting our application for fund to help us keep operating.