We’re proud to be supporting Chippenham Shed with a £2,000 Community Impact Fund grant to help extend their workshop’s kitchen, which is used as a vital social area for local people.
Chippenham Shed is a charity and community hub for local adults to socialise, share skills and work on practical projects together. Based at the North Wiltshire Bowls Club in Chippenham, they offer woodworking training in their fully equipped workshop, and access to an allotment. Members meet every Thursday afternoon for refreshments and conversation.
As the Shed’s membership has grown to 69 members, demand for the workshop space has increased and outgrown the current kitchen, limiting how many sessions and people they can safely accommodate.
Our £2,000 grant will contribute towards the materials needed for a kitchen extension, which will be built by the Shed’s members, including windows, doors, insulation and plasterboard. Once complete, the charity will be able to run extra sessions and support more people.
Chippenham Shed’s members use their woodworking skills to support the wider community and other charities. Recent projects include planters for the Hearty Hare Café at Chippenham Railway Station, a mobility ramp for Chippenham Springboard Charity, and wooden playground equipment for Redlands School. Wherever possible, there is a focus on sustainability and utilising recycled wood.
The Shed provides a valuable social hub, particularly for retirees, helping to reduce isolation while supporting health and wellbeing through practical activity and companionship. Although many of the Shed’s members are involved in workshop projects, DIY skills aren’t a requirement and the group is open to anyone simply wishing to socialise over a coffee.
Membership fees are kept affordable to ensure the space is accessible to people on low incomes.
Philip Carter, Chippenham Shed Trustee, said:
“This project has grown directly from the success of our workshop and the increase in membership. Extending the kitchen area will improve safety, allow us to run more sessions and welcome more people through our doors. We’re very grateful for GSA’s support, which brings us a step closer to making this extension possible."
Simon Henstock, our Locality Manager, said:
“It is obvious what a valuable resource the Shed provides to both its members and the local community. I'm really pleased that we have been able to support with the extension which I hope will allow them to improve their facilities and the good work they have been doing.”
Many GSA customers live in the Chippenham area and benefit directly from the Shed’s activities, whether through joining as members and developing new skills, or enjoying the community projects completed by the group.
The funding comes from our Community Impact Fund, which awards grants of up to £2,000 to local charities and voluntary organisations that are making a positive difference in our communities. The fund is made possible thanks to generous social value contributions from some of our suppliers.