EVIDENCE is growing of the health benefits of having a garden shed, according to experts in the North-East.

As the region continues to face economic challenges, health officials say having a shed as a sanctuary has a positive impact on both physical and mental health.

In Redcar, the Footprints in the Community organisation launched the “Men’s Shed” initiative as a way of helping local men whose self-esteem had been affected by the steelworks’ closure.

The scheme, in Queen Street, brings men together to work on DIY skills, encouraging social interaction and helping them to counter loneliness.

Ken Ross, public health principal in Darlington, says there is clear evidence that having a shed is healthy.

“We can see that there are benefits, both physically and mentally,” said Mr Ross.

“If you’re out in the shed, hammering away or working on something, that’s means you’re being active, which is obviously good.

“But a shed also provides an important sanctuary – somewhere quiet for thinking time and mindfulness. It’s a great stress-reliever.

“It’s also a place where there’s a feeling of control and focus, which is again very positive. Even for those who don’t have big gardens, sheds can be built out in the yard.”

Martin Tod, chief executive of the Men's Health Forum, added: "We’re big supporters of men’s sheds.
"Older men can be hit hard by loneliness and isolation – and the friendly welcome they get from shedders – and the opportunity to contribute - can be a real boost.
"Men are particularly bad at asking for help with their mental health.  Sheds can be a powerful way to help men who need help in a way that works for them."

British men have always loved their garden sheds for pottering around but there is now a growing trend towards more adventurous “sheds”.

Cuprinol has been moved to stage the annual Shed of the Year contest and it has attracted some weird and wonderful entries in recent years. Here’s six of the best:

1. SHIPSHAPE: The Queen Emma Galleon may be a long way from the traditional garden shed, but it takes a lot of beating for sheer imagination. Modelled on HMS Warrior, and owned by Clare Kapma-Saunders, from Southampton, it was a category winner in the Shed of the Year competition in 2013.

2. WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED: Sheds can be fun and that is certainly the case with this Tardis shed which was also shortlisted in the Shed of the Year competition in 2013. David Lifton, from Chelmsford, spent five months building it for his Doctor Who-mad son Rhys. Imagine having a dad like that!

3. LORD OF THE WINGS: Given the grand title of “West Wing”, Kevin Herbert’s creation in Berkshire was the overall Shed of the Year winner out of a record-breaking 2,825 entries in 2016. Made almost entirely from recycled materials, it took eight years to make and is divided into three sections: a spacious loft; a large workshop; and a secret bookcase which reveals a hidden room.

4. LABOUR OF LOVE: This one’s called “The Love Shack” and was a 2016 finalist. Again, it combines a sense of fun with being eco-friendly. Owned by Grant Oatley, in Devon, it is clad with tiles made from reclaimed tractor tyres and has a “living roof”.

5. HAVE WE GOT BREWS FOR YOU: What used to be a dilapidated hen-house, was transformed into the Shed of the Year in 2015 by inventive Walter Micklethwait in Aviemore, in the Scottish Highlands. It has four themed rooms: a general stores farm shop; a ladies’ waiting room; a wild west saloon stocked with gin; and a fully-functioning distillery.

6. ECO-FRIENDLY: Joel Bird, of North London, designed the Shed of the Year in 2014, and he made eco-friendliness his priority. Forget having an allotment on a plot of land nearby, Joel put his allotment on the roof! And the building is entirely powered by solar energy.

Of course, these are extreme examples. Sheds can be a lot simpler – but they perform an important function no matter what shape they come in.

“From a health point of view, sheds should be actively encouraged – the more the better,” says Ken Ross.