About Us

A Men’s Shed is a larger version of the typical man’s shed in the garden – a place where he feels at home and pursues practical interests with a high degree of autonomy. A Men’s Shed offers this to a group of such men where members share the tools and resources they need to work on projects of their own choosing at their own pace and in a safe, friendly and inclusive venue. They are places of skill-sharing and informal learning, of individual pursuits and community projects, of purpose, achievement and social interaction. A place of leisure where men come together to work.

The Silvers’ Workshop is such a Shed, located in Reading. We opened in January 2015 at Jacksons’ Corner and moved to Hilcot Road, close to Oxford Road, Reading, in August 2015. So far we have an accessible workshop area, good wood-working tools (including power tools,) a timber store, and some metal-working tools. But members are not limited to these areas, and can work on whatever they want. The Shed will evolve according to the members’ wishes. Currently:

• We can provide training for members where needed.
• We have a comfortable sitting area with abundant tea and coffee.
• We are well-served by Reading buses.
• We are a registered charity. Our income comes largely from our members, and some comes from the sale of surplus donated tools. We welcome sponsorship and donations, including donations of tools and materials.

The Silvers’ Workshop is open to all men, though seems to appeal to older men, especially those who’ve retired and are missing going out to work. The Shed provides a friendly, welcoming place where what goes on involves a lot of tools for wood and metalwork and other things that are often of more interest to men than women.

We have a strong Health and Safety philosophy – if you want to use one of our many machines, you need to get someone who knows how to use it to show you what’s what before you do. That way we minimise the risk of you or anyone else getting hurt.

Interested? Drop in and see us or just join.