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Community Shed

What is the Community Shed?

Welcome to our Community Shed, a space for people to come together, share skills, and work on a whole host of creative ventures, from learning the ins and outs of woodworking, to tackling restoration projects, crafts and repairs.

Whether you’re an experienced maker, a curious beginner, or just looking for a warm and welcoming space to connect with others and try something new, why not pop along and get involved?

Contact us at leyburncommunityshed@gmail.com to learn more about the Shed and our opening hours.

What is the Community Shed?

Come along to the Shed - you won’t regret it!

“I’m an 88-year-old woman who’d never done anything like this before. Now I’ve fixed a clock, made a badge, repaired a ukelele, and built some window boxes! Come along to the Shed – you won’t regret it!” – Wendy, Shed Member

Originally, the idea behind this build was to create a ‘Men’s Shed’ – an expanding network of Sheds across the UK, offering men the chance to connect and create in a shared space.  
But in the wake of the pandemic, we recognised the wider need for an additional practical and social space at our Centre.

The Community Shed was born from this recognition, in the hope of tackling social isolation and providing a creative workshop setting for people to get involved with hands-on projects.

Today, the Shed’s a place where the community can come together, learn, and collaborate in a meaningful way.

The Shed provides access to a wide range of woodworking equipment to bring your projects and ideas to life. If you don’t have the skills, we have members who are only too happy to share their wealth of knowledge and expertise.

Alongside our woodworking facilities, we also have a spacious, well equipped crafting area, perfect for all kinds of (less dusty!) creative crafting.

We regularly hold workshops on the use of equipment. Call in anytime we’re open and see if there’s something for you, or try a no obligation trial session free of charge.

  • Membership: Members pay £30 annually and then £2 per visit
  • Safety: New members are carefully checked on their competence with each piece of equipment, and are then free to use most of the tools independently
  • Support: An experienced member of the team is always present to help with design or practical problems
  • Materials: Members provide their own materials, the only exception to this is when items are being made and sold to support the Shed

Download a membership form | Download our membership document

Spare tools or materials are always welcome, but we can’t accept unsorted boxes. We sometimes pass on donated tools and equipment to other Sheds, or sell them to support our running costs.

Here’s a rough guide for donations:

✅ Soft or hardwood

✅ Good-quality hand tools

✅ Screws, pins, drill bits, cottons (other consumables etc)

❌ We can’t usually accept chipboard or MDF

❌ Mains-powered tools may not be suitable— please check with us first

Get in touch if you think you may have something we could use!

If becoming a member doesn’t interest you but you’d like help with something, we may be able to assist in return for an appropriate donation.