I'm a former prison officer but DIY saved my life

A former prison officer has revealed how taking up woodwork with other retired men in Chorley helped save his life. 

Ian Aitken, 72, said stepping away from his previous work with suicidal inmates and as a hostage negotiator caused a mental breakdown and made him want to end it all. 

However, since joining the ‘Men’s Shed’ in Chorley, which encourages men to talk about issues that affect them, such as bereavement, retirement and loneliness, he says his life has found a purpose again.

Ian made the admission to Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Chorley MP, and Speaker of the House of Commons, at a UK Men’s Sheds Association exhibition in Parliament. 

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Join our new WhatsApp Community to get the latest news and top stories from across Lancashire directly to your phone. Sign up for our free newsletters now He said finding a joint enterprise – like building garden benches, tending to vegetables or learning crafts - helps men to open up about their mental health. 

Ian, a grandfather, and father of two, said: "Sometimes, we men can be our own worst enemies.

"When we retire, our daily structure is gone and then there is this void that some of us cannot seem to fill. 

"As a prison officer, I gave 200 per cent of myself. I dealt with prisoners who self-harmed, was a hostage negotiator, and even a Samaritan, but when I retired it all got on top of me.

"I had a breakdown, was diagnosed with PTSD and attempted to take my life." 

He added that joining the local Men’s Shed, and taking up woodwork with other like-minded folk, acted as a life raft and, by his own admission, 'literally saved me'.

He added: "Within six months I was off my anti-depressants, and my wife Jane said she had got her husband back."

Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he had been really impressed by the hidden skills of Chorley 'Shedders' and the work they have done to reduce isolation, particularly among men. 

He said: "Every life that is saved is a family that has been saved from a lifetime of heartache – so I am fully behind the ethos of the ‘Shed’ movement and all the work that they do."

There are 1,100 ‘Men’s Sheds’ across the UK, with nearly 33,000 ‘Shedders’ benefiting each week. 

The Chorley branch of the UK Men’s Sheds Association (UKMSA) has mixed membership and gathers three-times a week to work on joint projects such as building bird boxes and garden benches, tending to vegetables and flowers, and learning how to sew, crochet and knit. 

The group’s latest project is crowdfunding to raise £4,773 for a new roof on their 20ft x 16ft shed at the local football ground in Duke Street, Chorley. 

To make a donation click HERE.