Virtual network meeting

[chris nixon]

A highly successful initial virtual network meeting was held on 26 Jan 2021 attended by 13 representatives from various Southern Sheds and associated organisations. Lasted for about 90 minutes, John Mitchell very kindly made a few notes of what went on but there were no official minutes taken, it wasn’t that type of a meeting, totally informal and just a chance to contact old acquaintances and friends and meet new members who are in the position that we were what seems like many years ago (I have appended his notes at the end of this article). Much extremely useful information was passed between attendees covering funding, insurance, aiding and abetting fellow shedders and among other little snippets Graham informed us of a Hampshire based organisation called Unity that sounds extremely interesting,in the meantime I have added a link to their site https://www.unityonline.org.uk/ (not the most lucid one in the world). It is how he managed to get the Nursling Shed involved in assisting the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccination programme (and some very useful funding and brownie points to boot). I feel there is a lot more to it than I gathered at the meeting so hopefully he will add his own two-penn’orth about it here at some time in the near future. With luck the ongoing discussions between Gerry from Hayling and Peter from Shirley will help Southampton find the funding that they so badly need to get their Shed built.

John Mitchell of the Wessex Insurance Group gave his normal sales pitch and came up with some insurance ideas that could possibly save sheds some cash. If you are not insured with him now it might well be worth contacting him before your renewal date at [e-mail]

Talk was of Shedfests later in the year, assuming that lockdown has been adequately lifted, possibly in Eastleigh, The Weald and Downland Museum and the Isle of Wight – what a wonderful thought - but in these times of lockdown and forced insularity we really ought to use this forum to help each other. It should be a really useful method of staying in touch. Nothing can ever beat the cup of tea and custard cream approach but virtual meetings are probably the next best thing and the fora (or is it forums) is a poor replacement, but at least it is available to us. It seems to have fallen into a certain level of disuse in recent times but how else are we to keep in contact, offer ideas and solutions and help to other like-minded people?

At the end of the meeting it was decided that if we can’t get together physically by March another virtual meeting would be arranged so keep watching out for that.

John’s Notes

• Veolia Community Trust grants link: https://www.veoliatrust.org/funding/ For advice on applying for the grant contact Gerry at Hayling Island Shed or Peter at Shirley Shed
• Now is the perfect time to chase-up local council members for grant money for Sheds – Parish, Borough, County
• UKMSA to put a list of all regional networks with contact details on the UKMSA website site
• Please review the details that the UKSA has for your Shed in the “Find a Shed” section and make sure they  are up to date
• Up-coming events – dates to be confirmed, of course:
  1. Isle of Wight Shedfest
  2. Manor Farm, Eastleigh Shedfest
  3. Wealdon Downland Museum event 
  4. Time to Talk Day – Feb 4th 2021 – UKMSA is looking for Shedders to interview with their stories of how joining a Shed has benefitted them and others
• What have Sheds been doing during lockdown? Add your stories to the blog.
• Axminster Tools 10% discount – always ask for James at Basingstoke
• If you have experience of Gift Aid and Just Giving – please share your experiences with all – and particularly with Brenda and Ian Scott of Alton Shed
• When undertaking community activites, make sure that you have the right insurance cover in place – either with the organisers or via your Shed policy
• If you think you might have a COVID-19 business interruption insurance claim, John Mithcell (Wessex Insurance) is offering a free review of your policy and if you can make a claim he will help you to do so
• Please make more use of the Southern Sheds Network website - share your ideas and updates as often as you can