Women’s Shed Comes To Wicklow

atest press release from Minister Stephen Donnelly, issued on Tuesday, April 20th 2021…

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has welcomed the setting up of the Women’s Shed in Wicklow.

The first branch of the organisation was launched in Blessington on International Women’s Day on March 8th.

Since then it has attracted over 600 members and two further branches- one in Arklow and a third in Rathnew have been founded.

And this week it has emerged four further branches are hoping to be set up in Bray, Greystones, Enniskerry as well as Newtownmountkennedy. The shed is covering a whole range of areas from educating women about the impact of the menopause to running car maintenance classes with local garages.

Women are also learning how to navigate while hiking as well as taking on challenges such as the Recliner to 3km. The group who can be found on Facebook say: ‘We hope to offer up-cycling skills, upholstery, making blankets for our homeless, arts and crafts, flower arranging, crochet, and whatever the women decide they would like.

‘This is a new project which gives women a sense of empowerment through peer education and friendship. We hope to improve mental health and wellbeing through social interaction.

‘We will have to begin this journey virtually until such time as we can come together.’

Minister Donnelly said he would be giving the organisation his full support and would work to help them meet the unprecedented demand for their services. He said: “It’s fantastic to see Women’s Shed establish its first ever branches in Wicklow. The fact we have seen seven branches being established in just a few weeks is phenomenal.

“I’m not surprised there has been an overwhelming response to the first branches being set up because it just shows they are meeting a real need. The Women’s Shed provides women with a place where they can learn new skills and share ideas as well as offer each other support so it’s definitely something to be promoted. Organisations like this are exactly the kinds of things we should be backing because they help to improve both women’s physical and mental well-being.

“I’ve worked closely with the Men’s Shed and I’ve seen what an incredibly positive impact that is having on so many lives so I’m looking forward to doing the same with the Women’s Shed.”

Main pic: Irish woman Violet Gibson, who shot Mussolini on April 7th, 1926. Fair fecks.