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Father鈥檚 Day Blessings

For Father鈥檚 Day, Sean Fletcher visits Stockport鈥檚 Men in Sheds, a community project underneath a church that targets social isolation amongst men through the healing power of DIY.

To celebrate Father's Day, Sean Fletcher heads to Stockport to visit Heaton's Men in Sheds, an initiative that targets social isolation in men by bringing together people with different skills and hobbies to connect and forge friendships under one roof. The group was launched with the help of the Manchester diocese, which offered the basement of a Grade I listed church in Heaton Moor to become the home of the project. Sean arrives to the sound of drilling and power tools to meet Terry Hewitt, a former university professor who became involved after retirement. Sean learn just how crucial social interaction can be for men who become isolated in later life and how physical work can help them open up and talk.

Sean also visits a mother and her children who have spent 12 months in England following the outbreak of war in Ukraine. The family prepare a special Father鈥檚 Day celebration, connecting over video call with their dad back in Ukraine, praying together and discussing how their faith gives them hope that they will be reunited soon. Also, to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of Empire Windrush, we meet one grandfather who made his way to the UK from Jamaica in his twenties and played a key role in establishing the New Testament Church of God in Manchester. Hymns chosen specially for Father鈥檚 Day feature congregations from across the UK, with a performance from the Gospel Choir of the Year 2023.

33 minutes

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Sean Fletcher
Executive Producer Emyr Afan
Executive Producer Cat Lewis
Series Editor Matthew Napier
Producer Emmett Glynn

Broadcast