Intergenerational Collaboration: Building Community with Naas Men’s Shed

About 

Community organisations such as the Naas Men’s Shed play an important role in supporting social connection, skill-sharing, and enhancing wellbeing for local people. The community-based initiative can help to identify people that could benefit from practical support to improve their everyday lives. Recognising the potential for collaboration, TU Dublin partnered with Naas Men’s Shed and TU Dublin’s Sustainability Action Lab programme to create an intergenerational learning experience where students could apply their technical skills while contributing to a project that addressed a local need. This project places the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) at its centre, namely SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure reflecting the project’s focus on wellbeing, learning, skills development and strong community partnerships. Fourth-year students from the BSc Sustainable Timber Technology programme TU838, under the guidance of Damien Cross, Assistant Lecturer at the School of Architecture, Building and Environment, worked alongside members of the Naas Community Men’s Shed to design and build a timber pergola for a local family with children who have additional needs. The purpose of the pergola was to create a sheltered outdoor space that the family could use throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions. Using design software and timber construction skills, the students planned the structure and worked collaboratively with members of the Men’s Shed to cut, prepare and assemble the 36 timber components required. Within four weeks, the team successfully designed, cut, pre-assembled and transported the pergola before installing it in the family’s garden. The completed structure provides a calm outdoor space where the children can relax.

Top 3 learnings 

1. Defining a project with a significant Community outcome is really important.
2. Intergenerational Collaboration provides excellent social learning for students.
3. Having a project that stems from design to build to install to see the finished impact is incredible. 

What it would mean to win

TU Dublin has ranked in the Top 100 universities globally for contribution on two of the 17 United Nations' (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Demonstrating Sustainability and Community Engagement is hugely important for the University. To be recognised with a Green Gown Award would be a massive accolade and promotion for even bigger, improved future projects

SDG