Carluke Men’s Shed

“The men just can’t believe it – we are over the moon. This is huge recognition for all of our hard work over the last four years. We stuck to it, through the pandemic, and our Shed has really grown in popularity and accomplished so much in our community. We are only a few weeks away from moving into our new premises and now have even more of a reason to celebrate. Onwards and upwards.”

Tom Kennedy, Treasurer of Carluke Men’s Shed

Carluke Men’s Shed (CMS) began in November 2019 just before Covid-19 hit. The first meeting consisted of three people with future vision in Carluke Leisure Centre. Gradually, CMS attracted a growing number of men to its ‘blether/get-together’.

CMS members began visiting other local Sheds to try to glean pointers from them to help them move forward. It was also the start of some great relationships amongst fellow Shedders.

The Shed formed a committee and gained S.C.I.O. charitable status with OSCR on the 22nd November 2019.

CMS held various fundraising activities e.g. bucket collections, Golf Day event, bag-packing, annual Kiltwalk, Carluke Gala Day, Tesco blue token collection etc. allowing them to purchase their first (recreational) portable cabin and located it beside the Kirkton Parish Church in October 2020. They then moved this cabin a quarter mile to Carluke Development Trust’s High Mill site in July 2021 and purchased (thanks to funding applications) and located their second portable cabin (woodworking) next to it.

In early December 2022, The Shed successfully secured a Community Asset Transfer with South Lanarkshire Council for 1 Kilmory Road, Carluke. The members are doing a great job and revelling in using their various skills to excellent use and bringing this building back to life by painting and decorating, gardening, erecting fencing, installing double-glazed windows, roof repairs, installing an emergency exit door and arranging the installation of an accessibility ramp etc.

Activities

CMS provides a woodworking cabin and social area to allow members in Carluke and surrounding areas to meet and pursue a range of hobbies, pastimes and interests that promote positive mental health and helps to safeguard their health and wellbeing by ensuring they are socially and mentally active with reduced isolation. Their new building has space to create a quiet/reading area, social gathering area, music group area, woodworking cabin and games/hobbies area. The Shed offers members a place to enjoy a refreshment and a chat with fellow members who have perhaps felt isolated and to go out of their homes and become involved with community members.

Their newly-relocated woodworking cabin has gone from ‘drab to fab’ after being adorned with a decorative hand-painted mural by three generations of one family from our Men’s Shed to make it stand out and grab the community’s attention and brighten up the surroundings for everyone’s wellbeing and to be enjoyed by the 43-strong (and growing) membership.

The woodworking classes and cabin give those who attend a sense of purpose, achievement and confidence in their own abilities, camaraderie, social activity plus of course newly acquired skills. These skills can then be used for future community projects such as helping to regenerate Motherwell FC’s community reading garden to be enjoyed by all who attend.

The woodworking team produced a set of steps donated to our local horse riding stables to help budding jockeys get on and off their steeds and, again, we have forged a new and ongoing friendship with the stables in the bargain.

Projects

• CMS has forged several intergenerational initiatives with the local high school – to learn from each other and further develop the partnership. CMS presented them with planters for their school garden ensuring that gardening and the ground outdoors is incorporated into the school’s culture and pupils’ learning whilst fostering strong connections across the generations.
• The school is also participating in the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) Scotland and CMS members are delighted that the team of young pupils wish to support and raise awareness of the Shed. This another great intergenerational opportunity and we are also in with a chance of securing a YPI grant of £3,000. The Shed is now in talks with the local primary school to replicate the excellent relationship.
• The Shed’s relationship with Motherwell FC in August 2023 involved members overhauling their Community Reading Garden to be enjoyed by all who visit.
• CMS recently renovated a Silver Cross doll’s pram to present to a child seriously ill with leukaemia.
• As suggested by one of our members, CMA set up a small music group and it is coming on leaps and bounds – it won’t be too long till they are taking bookings in the local community for all to enjoy their musical prowess.
• Members are extremely talented in their chosen field and past careers: plumbers, electricians, gardeners etc. and the Men’s Shed allows them to continue to utilise and share their skills.
• One 87 year old member recently ran in the 5km race at Glasgow Green
• The Shed Treasurer and his wife have also participated for the fourth year in a row in the annual Kiltwalk and raised a considerable amount for the Men’s Shed.
• CMS arrange various social outings throughout the year such as barge trips, theatre nights, Golf events, museum visits, Christmas get-togethers and famous landmarks such as the Falkirk Wheel and the Burrell Collection.