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'Most of my wedding is coming from community shed'

Dawid Wojowitz/BBC Cecilia is wearing clear rimmed glasses and wearing her long, black hair and down over her left side. She's wearing dark blue denim dungarees and a pale blue apron with a white jumper. She's facing the camera and smiling.Dawid Wojowitz/BBC
Cecilia has also been using the tools to fix up her new home

Like many brides-to-be, Cecilia Ho was looking for ways to save money on her upcoming wedding, until the 29-year-old walked past the Letchworth Garden Shed.

The community enterprise in Hertfordshire is essentially a library for items which are useful but rarely used.

Now she thinks she has sourced 70% of what she needs from the shed for her summer nuptials in Devon - and at a fraction of the price of buying it or renting it from elsewhere.

"The plates, the cups, the cake stand, the disco lights, the bunting, the candyfloss and popcorn machines... I am saving lots of money."

It is not just party stuff that can be loaned from here.

There are about 800 items available including pizza ovens, power tools, cooking equipment, walking frames and sewing machines.

The shed was set up 18 months ago and has grown to more than 850 members.

The volunteers reckon it has saved members nearly a quarter of a million pounds, by borrowing rather than purchasing elsewhere.

Each one pays £10 a year for their membership and that allows them to rent items for £1, £4 or £8 a week - the price depending on the size of the item and how tricky it would be to repair.

Anyone living in social housing gets free membership.

Items can be reserved online but are collected in person from the shop unit in Leys Avenue in Letchworth, Hertfordshire.

Dawid Wojowitz/BBC A 74 year old man is wearing a blue and red polo shirt and a pale blue/grey apron with a brown shed on the front. He's looking down at an orange power tool which comes up to his hip and looks like a leaf shredder. To his left is his work bench which is covered in electrical testing equipment. Behind that is a row of shelves holding random objects such as bunting and guitars. Over his right shoulder is a white board and magnets have been arranged on it to say 'party time'.Dawid Wojowitz/BBC
Len, who used to test power tools for a living, volunteers at the shed because he found retirement boring

When an item is brought back, it is checked by Len Speck.

The 74-year-old used to repair tools for a living but now volunteers at the shed.

"I have just had all the leaf blowers come back in after the winds."

He says it is rare that an item comes back faulty because customers "know it is not theirs".

But what if items come back late and incur huge fines, as is the usual joke with library books?

With a smile, Len says: "Not many people forget to bring them back, but Ben soon has a quiet word with them."

He means Ben Mair who is the shed's manager - the only paid role at the not-for-profit.

Dawid Wojowitz/BBC The manager of the store, Ben Mair, stands in front of the kitchen and baking section of the store. He's wearing a navy blue polo shirt and a pale blue apron with a brown shed on it. Ben has a greyish goatee and short hair. He's looking directly at the cameraDawid Wojowitz/BBC
Ben says they get sent photographs of the cakes, furniture and gardens their members have made with the items they have borrowed

"Lots of people have really enjoyed borrowing items," said Ben.

"They send us photographs of what they have done and we put them on a TV display in the shed."

The majority of the items have been donated but the shed does use some of the money it raises to invest in bigger power tools.

John Magill from Baldock recently borrowed a saw and said he loved how much money he could save.

"I always try to get a bargain really and there is no point in buying something that I am only going to use once and then put away into the garage.

"I may even have donation of something myself at some stage in the future."

Dawid Wojowitz/BBC Cecilia wears dark blue dungarees and an apron but has her back to the camera. She is placing kitchen appliances on a shelf in the shed. In the foreground you can see a carpet cleaner and a dehumidifier.Dawid Wojowitz/BBC
All manner of appliances are available for borrowing at the shed

In 2025, Ben hopes they will be able to run more workshops where people can come and learn how the various tools work.

"We have done some good sewing classes and have taught people how heating systems work... but we would like to do more tool workshops."

The team says it is always on the lookout for new items and has a black board with a wish list at the front of the store.

Laura Foster/BBC A blackboard is propped against the front till of the Letchworth Community Shed. In white chalk it reads: Wish List. These are the things we would love to add to our inventory and have been requested by members of our community: festival cart, beach cart, white board, metal detector for treasure hunting, paper shredder, disco lights, karaoke mic stand, digital SLR camera, snowcone maker, mixing paddle, nail gun, grout steamer, wall chaser, tile nippers, fence post rammer, log splitter, screen print kit, electric air pump, turf cutte, long G-clamp, soft play set and football goal.Laura Foster/BBC
The shed has as list at the front till stating all the donations it would ideally like

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