ayr and prestwick men’s shed

Craft, community and friendship at heart of Men’s Shed success.

Ronnie Russell

Ayr and Prestwick Men’s Shed (APMS) is a charity which supports men’s health and wellbeing through its involvement in community projects from its premises at 1a Taylor Street, Ayr.

Located in an industrial unit, it has a full workshop facility as well as space for hobbies and crafts and a wee quiet ‘chatty’ space.

The charity is proud of its community support projects, not least the restoration of the benches from the McMillan Ward Sensory Garden at Prestwick’s Biggart Hospital. The benches were past their best, but the hard work of members means they now look as good as the day they were donated.

This was a long nine-month project as most of the benches needed to be rebuilt and restored. This was funded by Prestwick and Villages Locality Planning Partnership which enabled the Men’s Shed volunteers to restore the memorial benches back to their original condition.

In another project, Chairman Frank Tanner and Vice Chairman Ronnie Russell of APMS were invited to Prestwick Academy by Jane Sinclair, principal teacher of Design and Technology. The Academy was looking to launch its Future Roofing Prestwick initiative, and introduced Frank and Ronnie to Andy Kerr, Operations Director at KRB Group (Ayr) who delivered a course at Prestwick Academy.

Students were given a wishing well which they used to practice and demonstrate their roofing skills, but Men’s Shed decided to build a giant wishing well with the aim of creating a lasting centrepiece which would also raise money for charity.

Frank and Ronnie were invited back to the launch of the Future Roofing Prestwick ceremony which was officially performed by the Lord-Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran, Sheriff Iona Sara McDonald OBE. Frank presented the giant wishing well which was handmade in the Men’s Shed workshop, and the Lord-Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran decided it would be best donated to Hansel as a creative feature.

Andy Kerr will supervise the students as they finish the final construction of the Hansel wishing well roof slating. The Prestwick Academy students will slate the wishing well roof as part of their National 5 Creative Industries Qualifications.

Ronnie Russell presented the Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran with a handmade wooden pen as a souvenir of this momentous occasion. The pen was also made by volunteers at Men’s Shed.

Thanks to support and funding from Voluntary Action South Ayrshire, APMS is open every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10am to 2pm. New members are always welcome for a cuppa and a chat.