A CROWDFUNDING campaign to help develop a pilot project aimed at bringing older women together has been dealt a blow after falling well short.

Women in Sheds in February, at Age UK Cheshire’s Shed on Hartford Business Park.

The six-month pilot scheme follows on from Age UK’s Men in Sheds, which was launched by the Cheshire charity in 2008.

The sheds provide women aged 50 and above with a place to share and learn new skills and socialise.

Activities include woodworking, woodturning, pen making, community projects, computer sessions and making model railways.

Last month the charity launched a fundraising campaign to help fund a dedicated Women in Sheds facility, to develop the premises and keep it stocked with the right tools and machinery.

That campaign has now finished, and only raised £460 – far short of the £60,000 fundraising target.

Women in Sheds currently takes place every Friday, from 10am to 4pm.

The project is aimed at women who are lonely and isolated or would simply like to get out of the house and make new friends or learn new skills.

Age UK said the pilot has been a ‘roaring success’. Since launching in February, the scheme has around 30 regular members.

Georgina Alexander-Pulham, marketing officer for Age UK Cheshire, said: “We are still going to run with Women in Sheds on a Friday in Hartford, it just means that the development of the project on a wider scale will be much slower.

“We are really delighted with the amount of recognition and support we received for Women in Sheds – the numbers of people attending on a Friday has gone up and up.

“It is just a shame that we just don’t have the money in place at the moment to now expand.

“We would like to thank everyone who supported us – both financially and with giveaways and prizes.”