President Michael D Higgins has become a patron of the Irish Men’s Sheds Association, which aims to provide environments where men can work on projects together. There are now over 120 Men’s Sheds in Ireland and the organisation has been growing at a rate of about one Men’s Shed a week for the past year and a half. The association currently has around 3,000 members.
Men’s Sheds can serve a critical function in the lives of men who find themselves unemployed at any stage in their lives by providing them with a substantial support network, according to John Evoy, CEO of the Irish Men’s Sheds Association.
“It is an enormous honour for the Irish Men’s Sheds Association and the men we represent that the President of Ireland has agreed to be our patron. Since the first Men’s Shed opened in Ireland in August 2009 the association has grown to over 120 sheds and this recognition from the highest office in the country is a great moral boost to the thousands of men who attend their local sheds regularly.”
The Irish Men’s Shed Association was one of ten projects selected in 2011 for support from the Arthur Guinness Fund and over the course of two years will receive €50,000 along with business mentoring in order to advance the project further.
Source: Business and Leadership – President Higgins Becomes Patron of Irish Men’s Sheds Association
