Supporting the Community: Donating Pallets to the Clyde Coast & Cumbraes Men’s Shed

At Luddon Construction, we believe that construction projects should leave a positive legacy in the communities where we work. Our M&S Food Store development in Largs has been a great opportunity not only to deliver a high-quality retail development but also to support local groups and promote sustainability.

Our Building Division is currently delivering the new M&S Food Store in Largs on behalf of Westquarter Developments Ltd. The project involves the demolition of existing structures, removal of redundant services and the construction of a new retail unit with associated car parking, revised vehicular access and landscaping. The development will provide approximately 11,800ft² of retail space with an additional 2,000ft² mezzanine area, creating a modern food store for the local community.

As with all our projects, we have looked for opportunities to maximise community benefits and reduce waste wherever possible.

During construction, a number of timber pallets were no longer required on site and instead of sending these materials for disposal, our team identified an opportunity to reuse them within the local community.

We donated the pallets to Clyde Coast & Cumbraes Men’s Shed, based in Largs, and is the current Scottish Men’s Shed of the Year. A fantastic community organisation that brings people together to learn new skills, share knowledge and work on practical projects.

Members of Clyde Coast & Cumbraes Men’s Shed put the donated pallets to excellent use by transforming the reclaimed timber into a range of handcrafted items designed to support local wildlife and enhance outdoor spaces.

Using the recycled wood, they created:

• Bird boxes to provide safe nesting spots for local birds

• Bug hotels that offer habitats for insects and pollinators

• Hedgehog houses to support local hedgehog populations

• Flower planters that help create greener, more welcoming environments

These simple but effective creations help encourage biodiversity and provide valuable habitats for wildlife across the local area.

This initiative highlights how small actions can make a big difference. By repurposing materials that would otherwise go to waste, we were able to support a local community group while contributing to wildlife-friendly initiatives. It’s a great example of how construction projects can deliver benefits that extend beyond the site boundary by supporting people, promoting sustainability and helping create greener communities.

We’re proud to support organisations like Clyde Coast & Cumbraes Men’s Shed and to see our donated materials given a new life through their creativity and craftsmanship.

Ian Murdoch, Chair, Clyde Coast & Cumbraes Men’s Shed, said, “We would like to thank Luddon Construction for their kind donations to our Shed. This is very much appreciated by our members.”

Clyde Coast & Cumbraes Men’s Shed opened on 4^th March 2023. We asset transferred our premises from North Ayrshire Council on 13^th June 2025. We won Scottish Men’s Shed of the Year on 3^rd October 2025. We have just celebrated our 3^rd anniversary on 4^th March 2026. We have members from 18 to 94 years old. We do woodwork, repairs, restoration, arts, crafts and music. We have two guitar groups and a walking group.

Men’s Sheds were created to support men’s physical and mental health & wellbeing. There is an amazing support network through the Scottish Men’s Shed Association. They have been a wonderful help to us and over 200 other sheds in Scotland.

CC&CMS is based in the Brisbane Centre, Bath Street, Largs. Our activities can be followed on Facebook. We can be contacted by email at chair.cccmensshed@gmail.com