A community group that helps combat isolation and loneliness is celebrating after finding a new home.

St Just in Penwith Men’s Shed has spent more than a year looking to find a new workshop where men and women, particularly those no longer working, can go to make friends, share skills and help make things for the community.

They are part of the UK-wide Men’s Sheds Association and they have received funding from St Just and Cornwall councils as well as Volunteer Cornwall.

But despite forming nearly four years ago they had struggled to find a permanent home for a workshop.

However, that has now changed thanks to a community-orientated farmer in Newbridge.

Ian Jelbert, who with his wife Tracey have recently taken over the Fountain Inn in Newbury, are allowing them to turn an unused barn into a workshop.

“Ian and Tracey are very community orientated and have been very supportive since we contacted them in November last year,” said secretary Mike King.

“The farm has recently converted from arable to dairy farming, freeing up barn storage space that was previously used to store vegetables in chilled rooms prior to transporting to retail outlets. 

“Two adjacent storage rooms are available, located within barn space, with basic lighting and electrics. 

“We need initially to clear a lot of old farming stuff out of the barn and storage room space with guidance from Ian and his sons, then get the electrics installed.

“Ian has an electrician who will install electrical sockets, lighting, wall heaters etc at our cost. Then we will build and install work benches in each of the two workshop rooms. We already have timber and plywood sheets.

‘One room will be for woodwork (dusty processes) and one room for cleaner processes, repairing, etc.

“There is car parking space behind the adjacent farmhouse and level access into the barn/workshops.”

The group currently has 12 members, including three women, and they hope that once they get the new workshop finished, they will be able to attract even more members.

Mike told the Voice last year that he felt there was a ‘definite need’ for a group like theirs.

They hope to start clearing the barn space this month.