JOE gets behind the wonderful Cluid Men’s Shed programme

By and large, Irish men are probably among the worst in the world when it comes to discussing what’s on our minds. This is probably why so many of us head down to the local to unwind and partake in some banter with a group of friends who know how to take our mind off things - as opposed to actually talking about what’s on our minds. That's by no means a bad thing, of course - but it often means that the deeper-rooted issues aren’t being dealt with. And tragically, it also means that repressing such emotions ends in someone taking their own life far too often.

There are a lot of incredibly worthy causes out there, and each and every one of them deserve your time and whatever you can spare financially - but one particularly close to  JOE's heart is The Clúid Men’s Shed project.

A wonderful initiative that began in Austraila, it essentially gives men a chance to work on worthwhile projects, either by themselves or as part of a group.

The guys behind it at Cluid Housing told us: “In 2011, Clúid residents came together in Carrigtwohill and Newmarket, Co. Cork to establish Men’s Sheds in their community. Carrigtwohill and Newmarket, like a lot of small towns in Ireland, really only had one place for men to enjoy a bit of company -  the pub. We found there was a lot of community activity for women, such as coffee mornings and social groups; and while men are welcome to these, most don't feel comfortable in such a setting.  We wanted to offer the men something else, something more constructive - because, after all, men are happiest when they're tinkering with an old engine or seeing a broken piece of furniture come back to life!”

You can have a look at a video outlining some of the fantastic work being done here below.

You can also help by voting for these marvellous people in the Better Together programme.

We at JOE are proud to be associated with them