Men’s Sheds are set up by and run by volunteers but who supports those volunteers in our Scottish communities?
This is where the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA) and their latest awareness-raising animation comes in.
The SMSA’s latest animation, ‘What does the SMSA do across Scotland?’
Men’s Shed members and trustees are all volunteers and these volunteers require someone at the end of the phone or an email or to meet with them one-to-one to take the time to provide Shed-specific information, advice, resources and tools to support them and save them reinventing the wheel.
Over the last nine years, since the SMSA’s inception, the Association has been ‘In Scotland For Scotland’, and not affiliated with any other organisations, to support volunteers in their local towns and communities along this development pathway to grow the Scottish Men’s Sheds Movement to what it is today—whether their Shed is fully open, just developing or a group of men wanting to chat about an embryonic idea for their community.
SMSA CEO Jason Schroeder said: “This animation and raising awareness of what we do across Scotland to garner financial support is key to our strategies and brings us closer to achieving our vision to have a Men’s Shed in every single town and city in Scotland to reach all men over the age of 18 living in Scotland so that they are better informed of the support we can provide them and to maximise their use of it.
“The animation is a useful tool when reaching out to partner organisations and grant supporters/funders to fully explain the vital work we do to keep the Movement thriving. Across the globe, there are 3,000+ Men’s Shed groups across 16 countries all supported by a national body similar to the SMSA and the successful Scottish model is now being replicated by other countries—which we are humbled by and immensely proud of.
“The SMSA team is just a call, a click or a trip away from delivering tailored advice to save any duplication of effort at every stage of the Shed journey. We are just a small team but with a big job to do and strive to provide a wide range of services including Shed visits, online support, a comprehensive website filled with all the information from starting up a Men’s Shed to becoming a sustainable Shed, a members’ database, online members’ resource library, Shed Network meetings across ten regions and national events and gatherings.”
“In addition to this, our charity also provides Shed membership benefits with discounts from our partner organisations, mediation services, a ‘Find a Shed’ map for potential Shedders to find the Shed closest to them, and regular updates relevant to Scottish Men’s Sheds through The Scottish Shedder magazine, Shedloads of Opportunities Bulletin, email communications and our popular social media channels.
“As a focused men’s health and wellbeing charity, we support thousands of our members and hundreds of open and developing Men’s Shed groups. We are here to inspire and support volunteers and through our work, the chances are that we will have the solution to your problem or challenge. We will continue to focus on men’s health in Scotland and do our bit in creating a healthy and thriving country.”
Help change our Scottish communities for the better and improve men’s lives through Men’s Sheds by liking and sharing this new animation with your networks to help more volunteers succeed on their Shed development pathway.
Please share these awareness-raising animations widely with your networks.
They may have only officially opened in October of this year, but Banff, Macduff and District Men’s Shed is certainly making its mark as their members celebrated a double triumph in the Scottish Men’s Sheds Movement world this week.
Representatives from the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA) – the national support hub for the 200+ Men’s Sheds across Scotland – travelled on Thursday 23rd November 2023 to hand-deliver the Shed’s esteemed targe trophy and prizes for winning ‘Scottish Men’s Shed of the Year’ 2023 in addition to a very special donated guitar for winning the ‘Battle of the Shed Bands’.
SMSA CEO Jason Schroeder said: “When we started these awards back in 2019, their purpose was to celebrate, recognise and reward Scottish Men’s Sheds for the work they are carrying out in their Sheds to improve men’s health and wellbeing and the impact that they are making in their local communities. Since then, the awards have grown tenfold.
“It is a level-playing field for all the Sheds that apply – some have been on the go for over ten years now and some are new and developing. Banff, Macduff and District Men’s Shed, as the new Shed on the block, is now the fifth Shed to receive this prestigious title and has proved through this win that these groups of volunteers are making just as big of an impact in a short space of time. Our previous Shed finalists and winners over the years report gaining immense status not just where they live, but also nationally with funders, supporters and the media which was unprecedented.”
The Association’s CEO Jason presented the Shed members with the unique SMSA targe trophy which was the brainchild of former SMSA Chairman Derek Keiller – engraved with the Shed name and displayed in a very fitting Shed-style stand designed and produced by inaugural winner, Aberchirder & District Men’s Shed who was also present at the event. The Shed will hold the trophy until the 2024 award winner is announced.
Along with the title and trophy, the Shed receives £2,000 of prizes to support the running of their Shed including a £500 unrestricted cash prize from the SMSA (paid for through SMSA Shed Membership fees); a £150 voucher from Axminster Tools; a £250 voucher from Scotmid Co-operative to keep the guys going for a while in tea and biscuits; a free Machine Competency and Woodwork training day from David Young Training worth £638; and a year’s free accounts package from Thyme Accountants worth £360 to support their Treasurer.
SMSA CEO Jason then went on to present the ‘Battle of the Shed Bands’ prize to the Shed donated by partner organisation, 12 Guitars – the social enterprise uses the guitar as an enabler to provide the enjoyment and life-changing benefits that playing guitar can bring to people of all ages and backgrounds. The band was overwhelmed to receive the prize – a Michael Batio MAB Gold Relic guitar manufactured by Dean Guitars.
Shed Chairman Bob Copland who is in the band said: “We couldn’t believe it when we won the Scottish Men’s Shed of the Year title, and then were doubly gobsmacked when we went on to be announced as the winner of the inaugural Shed bands contest too. We thank the SMSA, 12 Guitars and everyone that voted for us for both – it has created such a buzz in the Shed. When we shared the news with our members that our band had also won, they were delighted thinking that they had won a photo print of the guitar, then found out that we had actually won the guitar itself! We are over the moon to say the least.”
At the presentation event, the Banff & Macduff Shedders band – vocalist Graham Souter, drummer Alex Sutherland, Bob Copland on bass, John Bloor on rhythm guitar and lead guitarist Bob Brown playing the new guitar – not only entertained guests to the Shed with their winning song ‘Don’t Rock the Jukebox’ but also performed live on air to Deveron FM listeners who were also treated to a live interview from the SMSA sharing the great news.
Chairman Bob Copland (now 62), who suffered his first stroke at the age of 29, said: “The Battle of the Shed Bands was a great opportunity to feature that there are more to Men’s Sheds than just woodwork. Some men are just not interested in DIY and have so many other hobbies and interests that can bring them together for better conversations. Our band members have all performed in other bands in the past and playing together at the Shed has been great.
“I returned to play the guitar as part of my recovery process following a stroke which affected my left side. My left hand used to seize up and I thought, if I can just keep working my hand it will come good, and through playing the guitar regularly, it did. Many of our members have a background story to tell, our vocalist Graham is a recovering alcoholic and our drummer Alex didn’t leave the house for years following a horrific attack and was left for dead. Our rhythm guitarist John Bloor is also recovering from prostate cancer which was only discovered when he decided to go to his GP to get checked after a conversation with another Shed member. It really is fair to say that joining the Men’s Shed and playing in the band is truly life-changing for all of us.”
Jason added: “We are trying to get the message out there to men living in Scotland that you don’t have to know how to make a bird box to join a Men’s Shed. The Shed is just the place that brings men together either with common interests or with skills and talents that they can share with others or just come along for the craic and a cuppa whilst improving your health and wellbeing. Both commonalities and diversity make for better conversations in the Shed.”
Head to the Shed – find the Shed closest to you on the SMSA website ‘Find a Shed’ map.
The Annual Report and Financial Statements for the period 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023 is now available from the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA).
The publication features reports from the SMSA Chairman, Treasurer, Development Officer, and Chief Executive Officer in addition to key highlights from the reporting period and the financial statements.
Each year since 2002, outstanding examples of volunteers making a difference in their communities have been celebrated through the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and now, in 2023, Stonehaven & District Men’s Shed has become the first Scottish Men’s Shed to be recognised through The King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS).
Equivalent to an MBE, KAVS is the highest award given to local voluntary groups in the UK, and they are awarded for life. The Shed is one of just 262 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. Recipients are announced annually on the 14th November, The King’s Birthday, and the 2023 awardees are wonderfully diverse.
Chairman Bill Allan said: “The objective of the Men’s Shed is to enhance the mental and physical health of the men who have time to spare and wish to pass that time together constructively and enjoyably, learning new skills, or passing on their own and, in the process, contributing to the general wellbeing of the community.
“I am delighted that our members’ achievements have been recognised. It is a tremendous honour for our volunteers after all the hard work they have put in to acquire the property, renovate it by raising over £85,000 in funding, whilst also contributing over 4,000 hours of their own hard work to make it fit for purpose. In addition, since opening three years ago, the volunteers have worked on a wide range of projects for the benefit of the community and the wider world.
“This Shed is unique in Scotland, as it dismantles used prosthetic limbs for the Legs4Africa charity. These valuable parts, costing a minimum of £5,000 per limb, are shipped to Africa where they are reassembled to fit amputees in several countries.
“The Shed, like others in Scotland, also puts great emphasis on recycling bicycles, garden equipment and furniture and repurposing discarded wood and metal through their projects.
“All this has given the volunteers great satisfaction and pleasure whilst providing comradeship in meeting new colleagues in an environment where they and their families know they are safe, all contributing to the benefit of mental and physical health of older people in the community.
“It is also a great tribute to the Scottish Men’s Shed Movement which has now over 200 Sheds up and running or in development. We would like to express our appreciation to the Lord Lieutenancy for nominating us for this award, and also all local Council and our fellow volunteer groups in Stonehaven who have supported us over the past few years”.
Representatives of SDMS will receive the award crystal and certificate from Alastair C S Macphie, Lord-Lieutenant of Kincardineshire later this year. In addition, two volunteers from the Shed will be invited to attend a Royal Garden Party at Holyrood House in July 2024 with other recipients of this year’s award.
The Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA) has revealed the winner, chosen by the general public, of the 2023 ‘Scottish Men’s Shed of the Year’ title as Banff, Macduff and District Men’s Shed at their national gathering, AGM and awards event today.
Over 200+ open or developing Men’s Shed groups, across all 32 local authority areas in Scotland, were invited to apply for the awards process before being shortlisted to three by the SMSA Board of Trustees. Banff, Macduff and District Men’s Shed was then unveiled as the winner – live by the SMSA at the awards ceremony on Friday 10th November 2023 receiving a tremendous 46% of the votes with Carluke Men’s Shed coming a close second – with only 45 votes between them – and Carse of Gowrie Men’s Shed in third place.
Commenting on the award, Banff, Macduff and District Men’s Shed Chairman Bob Copland, said: “We are absolutely gobsmacked, we really did not expect to be shortlisted let alone win. We wish to take this opportunity to congratulate and recognise the outstanding work being carried out by our fellow finalists Carluke Men’s Shed and Carse of Gowrie Men’s Shed and all the Sheds across Scotland.
“We are overwhelmed, and thankful to the SMSA, for the amount of publicity and interest that the awards have drummed up for us. Thanks go to each of our members for everything they do to make the Shed a success and to every single person that voted for us.”
Banff, Macduff and District Men’s Shed’s journey began back in 2017 when a group of eight men began meeting in a room above the Railway Inn Banff. In 2018, the Shed set their sights on the former Fife Street School in Macduff – a large empty granite building that was up for sale. After a few hiccups and a pandemic in the way, the Shed gained access in September 2022 and signed a 99-year lease in March of this year.
The Shed’s varied activities include woodwork, gardening, machinery maintenance, computing, music group/band, snooker, table tennis, cards and board games, group debates, presenting shows on their local radio station and photography to name but a few. The Shed has also dedicated two rooms solely to let to community groups including Deveron Camera Club, puppy training classes, a street dance group, the Macduff Crafters and the North Aberdeenshire Integrated Drug and Alcohol Service Health and Social Care Partnership which holds weekly acupuncture classes for people suffering from addiction.
The Macduff Market has full use of the premises once a month and there is also a regular presence from the Community Food Initiative North East’s mobile food service van to serve the community. The Shed recently hosted Macduff’s first-ever car boot sale which was a great success. Their list of projects is vast and they have had a huge impact with the younger and older generations in their community in such a short period of time. The Shed has mentored Macduff Primary pupils within the Nurture Hub, worked with Banff Academy and the local Brownies group to build bird boxes as well as refurbished a sun house, seating and built a greenhouse for the local sheltered housing complex.
Jason Schroeder, SMSA CEO, said: “Our three finalists are all excellent examples of best practice and the reason behind showcasing these Sheds through these awards. Our winner is not only improving the health, wellbeing and general quality of life of the members that attend but this group of volunteers has also saved this building from demolition and brought it back for immense community benefit. They are sharing this fantastic community resource with other local groups – as there was a lack of suitable and affordable meeting spaces in the area – resulting in bringing the community together through shared premises, assets and knowledge and to also generate income towards the running of the facility to ensure it is here for many years to come.”
Banff, Macduff and District Men’s Shed were presented with the esteemed SMSA targe trophy – created and designed by former SMSA Chairman Derek Keiller and several Men’s Shed members – engraved with the Shed name and displayed in a unique stand designed and produced by inaugural winner, Aberchirder & District Men’s Shed. The two runners up received a replica trophy, created by David Young Training, to be displayed in their Sheds to recognise them as 2023 finalists.
The winner and runners-up also receive a range of prizes from the SMSA and their partners and sponsors. Banff, Macduff and District Men’s Shed receives £2,000 of prizes to support their Shed including a £500 cash prize from the SMSA (paid for through SMSA Shed Membership fees); a £150 voucher from Axminster Tools; a £250 voucher from Scotmid Co-operative; a free Machine Competency and Woodwork training day from David Young Training worth £638; and a year’s free Shed accounts package from Thyme Accountants worth £360 to support the Shed Treasurer.
This year’s event, the first gathering of Scottish Men’s Sheds since the pandemic, included a new fun entertainment element entitled ‘Battle of the Shed Bands’ with performances from three Shed bands – Simply Shed’ from Stonehouse Men’s Shed, ‘The Woodshedders’ from Culter & District Men’s Shed and the ‘Banff & Macduff Shedders’ – who competed for votes from the event delegates.
Banff, Macduff and District Men’s Shed celebrated a double win as they were selected by the audience to win a Michael Batio MAB Gold Relic guitar manufactured by Dean Guitars donated by the social enterprise 12 Guitars which uses the guitar as an enabler to provide the enjoyment and life-changing benefits that playing guitar can bring to people of all ages and backgrounds. The Banff & Macduff Shedders band formed almost six years ago to ‘get together to play some tunes for fun’. Commenting, Bob Copland, said: “All we want to do really is have a bit of fun and not let our instruments, or ourselves, collect dust.”
Jason added: “We are not just about woodwork in Men’s Sheds – far from it – as strongly evidenced by the Sheds celebrated at today’s event. Sheds are all unique and offer a diverse range of activities to meet their members’ needs and the volunteers all have talents and skills they wish to utilise and share with others. Music and bands were just one element that we wished to showcase at our national gathering.”
John Conroy from ‘The Woodshedders’ group from the Culter & District Men’s Shed said: “We use our group to promote the health and wellbeing benefits of singing as it can boost confidence, encourage expression and social bonding. Music and singing are really good for you, the known physical benefits include enhancing lung function, helping to relieve stress and anxiety, also improving memory.
“Current members Erik Stein, Peter Helms, Graham James, Paul Bothamley, and I never set out to be a performing group but were encouraged by former Shed Chairman Bill Jamieson to start performing at Shed events before venturing out to public engagements. Our ethos is that ‘music is the universal language of mankind’ and the recording played at the SMSA event was from our first-ever public performance at Deeside Golf Club, Aberdeen, so it is very close to our hearts.
“It is hard to describe the feel-good factor that our group gains from singing in a relaxed environment. We love to make our audience happy and hope to continue for as long as we can. We urge other Sheds to consider setting up their own music groups and encourage members of the public to consider joining or starting up a music group at their local Men’s Shed.” Head to the Shed – find the Shed closest to you on the SMSA website at www.scottishmsa.org.uk/find-a-shed
