IN PICTURES: Laois Men's Shed share secret to winning multiple Government grants

Knock Vintage Men's Shed in rural Laois have had astounding success in scooping multiple Government grants to restore and install new facilities. Ahead of their popular annual Knock Threshing Day and vintage run this weekend, Niall Headen told the Leinster Express / Laois Live how they succeeded. Read below this gallery of photos. Tap NEXT or arrows to view photos. 

The restored Knock Vintage Club headquarters.

Knock Vintage Men's Shed is a unique mix of a Men's Shed and a Vintage club, based in rural south Laois. In the last few years, they have managed to win different grants that helped lease and restore an old chapel house for their base, build an impressive multi-use workshop, and most recently, erect a Geodome greenhouse. In all, grants so far have totalled over a quarter of a million euros.

Secretary Niall Headen explains further.

"We obtained a lease on a derelict chapel house in Spink from Fr Paddy Byrne (Parish Priest), and we got funding iof €70k from Laois Leader to renovate it.  We then built a new Men's shed with a Town and Vllage Renewal Scheme grant of €120k.

"We then got a further €30k from Laois Leader to kit out the shed with tools. We got a further €26k from Clár to create a garden area. We received €10k from Laois Offaly Education and Training Board to purchase a geodome green house and five laptops with a charging cabinet. We also received training from LOETB with more to come.

"We had to match fund all grants and are currently paying off a €30,000 Clann Credo loan," Niall said.

He said there is great help available in Laois to apply for the grants, but it took hard work too.

"There is an awful amount of paperwork. You could get bogged down and give up, but it is worth sticking at it. There is lots of support. The first couple of applications are the hardest, then you have things already done like your tax clearance. They train you, the Irish Men's Shed do grant application training. We got great help from Jenny Collier in Laois Leader, from Pamela Tynan and other staff in Laois County Council, from Gillian and Tamara in LOETB, from Ann in Clár, and from Laois PPN as well," Niall said.

"We are going strong, we have about 45 members and get over 20 at our main meeting on Tuesday nights, more are welcome.  They come from Abbeyleix, Ballinakill, Ballyroan, Clogh in Castlecomer, The Swan, Timahoe and Spink.  It is a great support to men of all ages. It gets people who are isolated out and about. We have students who come to make hurls or fix their cars. We are restoring a vintage tractor together at the moment, there's bits everywhere," he said.

They have put together the flatpack geodome themselves, and installed raised beds inside it for gardening. 

With their €30,000 loan outstanding, this weekend's annual vintage threshing festival and vintage road run is a big help, but it also is a thank you, he said.

"People have been so good at giving support, you can't keep going back to them for money. It's just €5 in, kids go free, we'd love to see a big crowd come and see the way threshing used to be done, they'll be two steam threshing mills, there'll be colcannon, old style games, it will just be fun," Niall said.

The Knock Threshing Festival takes place over the weekend of September 7 and 8. The festivities kick off on Saturday at 4pm with the Ger Bowe Memorial tractor run, registration at 3pm. It finishes at Headens Bar, Spink, where the community will gather for a lively charity Cock and Bull Auction, with proceeds in aid of the men's shed and Knock National School.

On Sunday, September 8, the Threshing and Field Day will take centre stage at Josie's Farm from 12 to 6pm. The day will begin with a parade from Spink village led by the magnificent steam engines.

Alongside the exciting threshing demonstration are vintage tractor and machinery displays, craft and food stalls, a Wheel of Fortune, and tea, buns, and burgers all day.

As evening falls, the music and dancing begins, and Timahoe Male Choir will give a special performance. The night will also feature a charity raffle, this year in aid of Knock National School, adding an extra layer of community spirit to the celebration.