Table 6.

Additional Findings on Men’s Sheds (Inductive Codes).

Codes	Findings
Reasons for participation in the shed	Reasons for participation in the shed change over time. While initial reasons focus on shed activities (e.g., access to tools), social aspects become increasingly important for the men over the course of participation.
Transition from paid work to retirement	Participation in the shed is linked to the previous work life of the men. By participating in the shed, men sustain or regain both a structure in their life and social networks.
Community	The men see their participation in the Men’s Shed as a valuable opportunity to give back to the local community.
Family and friends	Participation contributes to improvements in the relationships with family and friends outside the shed, for example, by giving them something to chat.
Learning	The informal learning environment of Men’s Shed enables exchange of knowledge and skills.
Mentoring	Several Men’s Sheds offer formal mentoring programs that target different groups of people (e.g., youth, people with disabilities). However, most of them focus on intergenerational mentoring.