Shed lend a helping hand

Cavan’s fastest growing Men’s Shed is one of dozens from across the country to rally to the aid of a sister organisation located in Wexford, which suffered significant damage after torrential rainfall on Christmas Day saw much of the southeast hit by severe flooding.

The Men’s Shed in Bridgetown suffered both internal and external damage, with members estimating the cost to repair in the tens of thousands.

But alert to their appeal, the members of the Belturbet Men’s Shed have now donated several hundred euros worth of paint, to be delivered in the coming days. It is one of several arrivals as their Bridgetown comrades try to get back on their feet.

“This was our response,” says Michael Gorman, who adds that the Belturbet group, like many other community organisations across the country are themselves strapped for cash and therefore unable to offer any sort of a financial leg-up.

The paint, which the Belturbet Men’s Shed has donated, was itself provided to the local group by Cavan-based business, Fleetwood Paints in Virginia.

“We hadn’t gotten around to using it yet, but their need is much greater than ours. It’s not just Bridgetown, but we’ve reached out to help others in the past as well.”

Along with outdoor paint, Belturbet donated a box of brushes and rollers.

“Fleetwood were extremely generous to us. Stanley Buckley there has been marvellous and we’re so lucky to have that link with a local company. So what better than to share some of our good luck with Bridgetown.”

The paint and brushes will be delivered to Bridgetown with the help of another Belturbet-based business, Cityfast run by Pawel Milczewski.

Belturbet Men’s Shed, which operates out of a site at Belturbet Railway, is one of the fastest growing in the region, with 62 members currently engaging with the organisation across a host of local projects in the Erneside town.

Over the past year the group has made representations and presentations across the political spectrum, with visits from Minister Heather Humphreys, Sinn Féin’s Pauline Tully and Fianna Fáil’s Niamh Smyth.

Mr Gorman says the Men’s Shed organisation is playing a critical role in helping provide social supports for persons who might otherwise “fall through the cracks”, adding that the plight regarding a sustainable stream of funding for the local organisation is one that is shared nationally.

“We welcome anyone that wants to join us. The reality now is we’re getting men arriving here because they’ve been referred to us by their GP as well.

“We cover a massive geographical area here now in Belturbet, from this town to Killeshandra and all of West Cavan. We had a new member join us only the other week who travelled the whole way from Swanlinbar. Over the past two years there are a lot of men who have lived in a state of isolation, like a lot of people have, and they have to relearn what it is to be social. It was the case before, but the need has only gotten great greater after the pandemic.”