Members of Brunel Men's Shed in Corsham have bagged two national awards - including one for their work with Alzheimer's Support's Memory Shed. 

The Brunel Shedders won the Men's Shed Association Health and Wellbeing Impact of the Year award for their partnership with the charity.  

Their shed was part of the innovation project in 2018 and is turned into a Memory Shed every Wednesday so that people who live with dementia and their carers can get involved in practical project using different tools. 

The members also won the Communty Project Award for their work with Regis School in Corsham. 

Alzheimer's Support CEO Sarah Marriott said: "This award is so deserved. The reason we have such a successful Memory Shed in Corsham, the only such group that I know of in the UK, is due in large part to the drive, innovation, and the enthusiasm of the entire Brunel Men’s Shed.  

“From the very beginning, this has been a wonderful collaboration between Brunel Shed and Alzheimer's Support to set up and develop this crucial opportunity for people with dementia and their carers to engage in practical DIY activities. 

"Previously we had little to offer to those who wanted to do this type of activity, but together we have created an environment where people can come and use skills that, without the support of this group, would not be possible.  

“The sense of achievement, inclusion, and acceptance, has been evident from all the feedback from everyone involved." 

Jigsaws which are made in the Memory Shed are then delivered to Alzheimer's Support's day clubs in Wiltshire where members put the finishing touches to the pieces, sanding and painting them, before they are put to good use in the clubs. 

Sarah added: "There are so many benefits to this partnership that extend far beyond the walls of the Shed itself." 

Other projects include making bird boxes, memory boxes, wooden animals and outdoor planters at the Shed, and members are also supported to feel in control by working on their own chosen projects.  

Carers are welcome to join in as full members of the group.  

The shed also has a seating area where members can chat and get to know each other over refreshments and occasionally the group has trips out to places of interest such as Lacock Abbey or museums in Bath. 

Corsham Health and Wellbeing group has supported the initiative with funds to buy specially adapted tools that are easier and safer to use. Timber has been donated by Jewsons in Devizes.