Bob Bunce took the initiative to set up Bridlington Community Shed. An earlier "Brid Men in Sheds", on Beck Hill, had closed in 2022. Bob decided to see if there was enough support to try again. So, in April 2025, he organised three public meetings.
As a result, a small group got together, initially meeting at the café in Boyes. Andy Long later joined the group and agreed to chair the Trustees.
He identified premises and we moved into our Shed in early November 2025. Over the next three months volunteers transformed it into a welcoming and practical space.
The Bridlington Community Shed was formally opened by the Mayor of Bridlington, Angela Walker, by cutting a plank of wood placed across the entrance, on 12 February, 2026.
Membership is growing and the Shed is regularly buzzing with activity.
The first Men’s Sheds were set up in Australia in the 1990's based on the idea of garden sheds – a place to pursue practical interests at leisure, to practice skills and enjoy making and mending.
Sheds spread around the world and came to the UK, where there are now well over 1,000 Men's Sheds. Every one of these is different and are shaped by what their members want them to be.
Although labelled sheds, they often aren’t sheds at all. Our "shed" is currently in a small business unit. Some Sheds have purpose-built workshops, but they rarely start out that way.
Sheds typically attract older men but we didn't want to restrict membership only to men. Hence, we operate as Bridlington Community Shed.