Photo: Men's Shed Grande Prairie

By Shaun Penner

Men's Support

Men’s Shed in Grande Prairie hoping to offer support, sense of community

Feb 27, 2020 | 1:12 PM

A new men’s support group in Grande Prairie is hoping to give those feeling lonely and isolated a place to feel a sense of belonging.

In partnership with the Suicide Prevention Resource Centre, a Men’s Shed group is starting up in Grande Prairie. It will offer men a place to get out and socialize, while also working on projects like woodworking.

“A peer support group is really what we’re trying to develop,” said Richard Nasedkin, who is spearheading the organization of the group. “It’s not a woodworking club for men, it’s for men that are going to get together and do woodworking.”

Nasedkin has long been involved in men’s support groups surrounding mental health. Since 2006, he has been facilitating the Men’s Support group, and he knows the need for men who may have feelings of depression, loneliness and isolation to have not just a place to open up about their feelings, but also to socialize and get involved in the community.

That’s what led him to organizing a Men’s Shed, which began in Australia in 2007. Nasedkin says the groups originated to help people who were new to the community become a part of it by getting together and working on common projects.

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“And they found out that other men were getting involved because they had a lack of connection to their community,” said Nasedkin. “They started to just build relationships and talk about their issues and talk about what it was like being a man and dealing with the things that they might not be able to share with their spouse.”

More than 900 “sheds” have since popped up across the globe, including here in Canada. The groups are meant for all men but are especially for those who may be recently retired, recently separated, are new to the community or are looking for a social group to join.

Nasedkin adds that a community like Grande Prairie could really benefit, as the feeling of isolation and loneliness can set in in more remote, northern communities for those who may not have a support network here. Those feelings can then become a gateway to depression and suicide, of which men are most at risk.

“Once they start to feel connected and realize that there’s other men out there that are struggling in the same way, that it makes them feel less isolated and gives them more confidence.”

The group will be holding its first organizational meeting Thursday evening, February 27, at Ole’ Smokes Coffee (10003-92 Street) to plan their first project and gauge the level of interest. Nasedkin plans to secure a workspace and have their first project on Thursday nights through the month of May.

Nasedkin encourages anyone interested to drop by the meeting to learn more about the group.

“You don’t have to be good with your hands, a certain age, or anything like that. If you want to be a part of our Shed, we’d love to have you.”