The Men’s Shed Will Pursue Independent Status
October 20, 2023 – As of November 1, 2023, the Arnprior-McNab-Braeside Men’s Shed (The Shed) will be pursuing independent status.
The Shed opened its doors in February 2019 as a program under the Arnprior McNab/Braeside Seniors Active Living Center, managed by Arnprior Regional Health (ARH). The partnership between ARH and the Shed has been fruitful, but the members are looking to expand their services to the community and pursue opportunities beyond what the financial and regulatory requirements of a healthcare organization allow.
“We are grateful for all the support we have received from ARH. We wouldn’t have got this far without them,” says Gary McBurney, co-host of the Shed. “There is a lot we want to do to expand our reach, things like how-to workshops and courses. Becoming an independent entity gives us more freedom to do that.”
ARH will continue to support the Shed through the transition.
“We value the Men’s Shed’s commitment to the community,” says Cathy Jordan, Chair of the ARH Board of Directors. “We are excited to see what they can accomplish, and we will continue to support them through this new phase.”
The change in status won’t affect the member experience, but it will allow the guys more flexibility to shape the organization and expand.
“We are proud of what we have accomplished so far,” says Gary. “We have built accessible picnic tables, bird houses, lending libraries, planter boxes for the Grove Home, toys for families affected by wildfires in Nova Scotia. We have over 30 members and that number is growing.”
The Shed will be returning to the location at 328 Neiman Dr. on November 1st and can be reached at [email protected] or on their Facebook page.
Media contact:
Taylor Holmes
Communications and Community Engagement Lead