I’ve worked for over 40 years in engineering and non-profit organisations, most recently as a research centre business manager until its closure in early 2020, right at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I have been unemployed since.

COVID-19 has impacted all of our lives in so many ways and attempts to contain it have led to increased social disconnection, job losses and financial challenges. It is well known that social isolation is one of the leading causes of poor mental health, and having an active social life can help prevent mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and loneliness.

For the whole of my adult life, I’ve been an active and enthusiastic motorcyclist and motorcycling has always been at the core of my social life. I’ve made some great relationships and friendships through motorcycling and I’ve been mentored, counselled, supported and encouraged by fellow riders. That support has gone beyond bikes and riding to include work and personal matters. I, and others I know, have at times needed to lean heavily on that support network when finding life and work issues overwhelming. The fellowship of motorcycling has certainly played a vital role in my life and mental wellbeing.

Now I have an opportunity to help others finding themselves in similar situations to mine, who may have retreated into isolation but who may not have access to any social support networks, so I have embarked upon setting up a Community Shed themed around engineering, motorcycles, mobility, and the restoration, maintenance, repair, re-use and recycling of a range of items depending on member’s interests and skills.

I want to tap into the potentially huge pool of expertise and skills (in engineering, trade practices, technology, business, workplace and project management) that exists amongst those who might be retired, semi-retired, unemployed or under-employed, who have time on their hands, feeling lonely or are just plain bored, and get them to come together in the Unicycle Shed to work on their own projects, mentor and pass on their knowledge and experience to others, learn new skills and contribute to projects that help the community.

The Unicycle Shed is a very new start-up charity, right at the beginning of its journey - its stories of impact on that journey are waiting to be told, once we have overcome the initial challenges facing us...

Our biggest challenge is finding a suitable and affordable space in which to setup our workshop.

The second challenge will be obtaining the necessary resources, equipment and the funds to operate the shed on an ongoing basis.

The third challenge will be raising awareness in the local community of the Shed's existence and purpose with the aim of recruiting shed members and volunteers for our outreach projects.