In the rugby club at the end of North Hinksey Village is a blue shipping container. Just visible behind the container is a Nissan hut. If you step behind the container on Monday or Wednesday 10:30am – 3:30pm, you’ll see that the hut is a brightly lit welcoming space, full of people (mostly men) working on various machines. This is Shed Oxford, Oxford’s own little hidden gem for anyone who likes woodworking, or other crafts, or just having a cuppa and watching others working on their projects.
Shed Oxford started in 2017. Inspired by the Australian Men’s Shed movement, Jon Willis wanted to set up a similar space where people (mostly men) can get together, share skills, and improve their mental and physical wellbeing. Back in 2017 Jon struggled to find a venue in Oxford, but the Abbey in Sutton Courtenay let him have premises in their grounds. The first Shed Oxford proved to be a success, with 15- 20 members after a few years. However in Jan 2024 the shed was asked to vacate by end Apr 2024, sparking a hunt for a new location.
Oxford rugby club aims to be a community hub, and already hosts clubs for tennis, football, Archery, Scouts, and a rather impressive mini laundromat. In January 2024, the club offered the Shed Oxford team a neglected Nissen Hut that was a dumping ground for unused items/ junk, which has now been turned into a proper little Palace of Productivity, with insulation, heating, lights etc. The photos on Shed Oxford’s website, shedoxford.co.uk, show just how much the hut has evolved in the last six months. The Abbey has since relaunched and agreement reached to continue hosting Shed Oxford, so now the Shed has two venues.
Shed Oxford at the rugby club has been operational since November 2024. On the day I visited, about ten men of various ages were there, and the atmosphere was wonderful. “What are you making?” I asked some of them. “And what keeps you coming here?”
“I’ve just finished making a table and am now making a planter,” says Nick. “I like to meet up with the people here”.
“I did a lot of the renovation work on the hut”, says Oz. “I come to help people use the machines”.
“I’ve been coming for five years”, says Len, who was mostly watching others while I was there. “I like the camaraderie”.
“I’m a retired design engineer”, says Frank. “I’ve made a wooden box to organise my pills. I just like the company.”
Jon Willis and fellow organiser Ian Dick explain that they are hoping to see some members from Age UK, from Aspire, which help people to get back into work; and from the mental health charity Restore. Several members initially came because their wives encouraged them to have some male company and something to do each week. The club offers training on how to use the machines, and support with whatever projects members would like to work on. “Some Men’s Sheds are exclusively men only, but we are happy to have women members” says Ian. “We’ve contacted the WI to see whether anyone would like to come, and we had a women’s day in December 2024”.
Membership is £15/month, and 100% is spent on members to cover insurance, electricity, tools etc. The Shed Oxford are keen to have more members. They are running a Swift nest box making workshop on 29th March that non-members are welcome to join (£20 cost): contact info@shedoxford.co.uk if you would like to attend. Shed Oxford is always on the looking for donations, good quality wood (e.g. larger slabs of hardwood) for their projects. I’m delighted to have been sent out to find out about Shed Oxford, as I otherwise would never have known what a little gem of productivity and mutual support we have on the border of our parish.
Author: Riki Therivel