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TheAliveShed750Wymondham pastor battles to stop closure of The Shed 

Pastor Barry Rooks is appealing for help to save The Shed in Wymondham, a community project set up by Alive Church for men to get involved in practical activities and form friendships, as it faces closure unless critical funding can be found this week.

The Shed in Wymondham has become a place where men, many of whom are older and facing loneliness and isolation, can get involved in practical activities and form friendships.  Now the project, which was the vision of Barry Rooks, Pastor of Wymondham’s Alive Church, is facing closure if critical funding is not found this week to keep it open.

For the past two years Alive Church has been renovating a disused and derelict building on Ayton Road to house The Shed.  Last February the downstairs workshop opened for business with woodwork tools, a lathe for woodturning and the facility to do some metalwork.

Since then they have opened a media suite and are close to finishing the entire renovation, which will enable them to lease rooms out, generate funds and become more sustainable.  However the lease is now up for renewal and the project faces a shortfall of £10,000.

Pastor Barry Rooks said: “We will find out hopefully tomorrow (Tuesday, January 22) about a couple of bids we put in. So we will have a better idea tomorrow or Wednesday.  We do need to make the decision this week on the building and the lease so we definitely need an answer this week.”

The threat of closure is a great disappointment to the growing group of men who have spent a huge amount of time renovating The Shed, who use the project and have formed friendships there.

As well as the bids, and a general appeal for help, Ian Walker, a member of Alive Church in Wymondham is challenging himself to cycle 500 miles between November and January to raise the much-needed funds for The Shed's survival.

If you are able to help the project in any way please contact Pastor Barry Rooks barry@alivechurch.org.uk or your can engage with the team on The Shed’s Facebook page.  You can support Ian Walker on his fundraising challenge for the Shed on JustGiving.

You can watch a video of Barry and his team talking about The Shed's closure on The EDP's website


The Shed, Ayton Road, Wymondham, NR18 0QH
   


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