Men’s Sheds as an alternative healthcare route? A qualitative study

Men’s Sheds Research Update

Men’s Sheds as an alternative healthcare route? A qualitative study of the impact of Men’s Sheds on user’s health improvement behaviours

Glasgow Caledonian University’s latest paper from the three-year Sheds for Sustainable Development Project has been published by the Bio-Medical Central (BMC) Public Health on the 20th March 2021 and is available on their website at:

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-021-10585-3​

As men’s health is an underrepresented area of policy and practice, there have been calls for more ‘male-friendly’ approaches to get men to think about and look after their health. While Men’s Sheds are recognised for the health and wellbeing impacts they can bring to their users, less is known about the effects that Sheds can have on men’s behaviours and attitudes towards their health. 

While Sheds aren’t formal healthcare providers, this paper outlines the ways that Sheds encourage men to look after their health and wellbeing in both obvious and non-obvious ways in an alternative informal and supportive ‘male-friendly’ environment. For example, the ways that Shed activities can provide a distraction from illness or adversity, how men can become educated on aspects of male health and how the support that Shedders receive can make them feel better about their health situations. 

For more information about the GCU Sheds for Sustainable Development Project (funded by The National Lottery Community Fund), please contact Dani at Danielle.kelly@gcu.ac.uk 

Potential grants for Sheds through the Business Temporary Closure Fund

**PLEASE NOTE: This fund has now closed**

The Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA) is urging Men’s Sheds in Scotland to take the time to look into this ‘Business Temporary Closure Fund’ opportunity, through their local authority, to check if grants are available in your area and if your Shed is eligible.  Please note that Sheds with charity rates relief can apply.

SMSA has recently been made aware of three Sheds in the Borders that are already in receipt of this grant (backdated from the 26th December 2020).

The Business Temporary Closure Fund offers a grant of £2,000 or £3,000 (depending on rateable value) for businesses required to close by law for the duration protective measures are in place:

  • £2,000 for premises which have a rateable value of up to and including £51,000; or
  • £3,000 for premises which have a rateable value of £51,001 or above

Eligibility will depend on the level of restrictions which are in place at any point in time in the location of the business premises.

The grant is available for business with premises registered for Non-Domestic rates as at 1st November 2020. Business that pay rates through their landlords may also apply, and local authorities may request documentation proving this, such as a lease or a rental agreement, or other evidence showing that the applicant is explicitly or contractually liable for charges associated with non-domestic rates for the property.

Local authorities have the discretion to award grants to eligible businesses which lease or rent premises which are not rated, such as those leased from a council in a public park, provided they are satisfied with the validity and eligibility of individual cases.

Funds will be payable every four weeks in arrears for the duration measures are in place.

The fund is administered through your local authority and this opportunity is worth exploring to ensure there is not an application cut off date.  

If your Shed is successful (or unsuccessful), please do keep SMSA informed at comms@scottishmsa.org.uk

Using the SMSA Logo/Brand

How to use the SMSA logo in your promotional materials

The SMSA logos are an important part of our brand—used in all our internal and external communications—and the Association has put together this simple guidance to help our members, partners, funders and members of the media use our logo correctly.

SMSA has two versions of its logo (pictured below), one for generic use and one for use by official SMSA Shed Members on their websites, social media accounts, leaflets, posters and other promotional materials.

  • The SMSA logo must not be altered, recoloured or the shape changed in any way—the logo(s) must appear exactly as shown above
  • Our logos must not be shared with any third party without prior discussion with the Association
  • When using the logo(s) online, please hyperlink the logo to signpost to the SMSA website

Logo Requests

To protect the use of our logo, requests (for each use) must be made in writing to SMSA at comms@scottishmsa.org.uk to obtain the logo in the appropriate size and format you require and detail what the logo will be used for.

SMSA National Conference now on our You Tube Channel

If you missed the opportunity of the sold out Scottish Men’s Sheds Association national online conference on the 21st January 2021 you can now enjoy an edited version of the first half of the conference.

Big thanks for all the Sheds input, Tim Green (Age Scotland Men’s Shed Development Officer), Dr Dani Kelly (Glasgow Caledonian University), Maurice Corrie (Cross party Armed Forces & Veterans Chairman and MSP) and our SMSA Trustees.

Listen to how the Sheds have fared over the last 10 months of the Pandemic, our new Emergency Shed Funding, the ground breaking Pathfindr safe distancing assistant now available through the SMSA for free to all Scottish Men’s Shed members and lastly the latest status of the SMSA Reopening Shed Guidance.

#menssheds #menswellbeing #menshealth #scottishshedders

Free online Scottish author discussion for Scottish Shedders

**PLEASE NOTE: This event has now passed**


Men’s Shed Govan is organising a series of free, live, online discussions with Scottish authors exclusively for Shedders in Scotland!

Their first author is Glasgow’s award-winning, multi-million selling, crime fiction writer – Chris Brookmyre. Chris will be talking about his new book “The Cut”.

The first event will take place on Wednesday 10th March 2021 at 7-8pm on Zoom and is FREE TO ATTEND.

REGISTER FOR THE EVENT

REGISTER FOR YOUR PLACE TODAY. Register early to avoid disappointment as spaces are limited. You will then be sent the Zoom link and any joining instructions.

HAVE A QUESTION FOR CHRIS?

The last 20 minutes of the evening are open to audience members asking questions directly to Chris. If you have a question for Chris, please email it to greg@fredfertang.co.uk. It cannot be guaranteed that everyone will get to ask their question but they aim to get through as many as possible.

Men’s Shed Govan is excited to be joining fellow Shedders from all over Scotland and look forward to meeting you all online!

Scottish Men’s Sheds Movement debated in Scottish Parliament

Today (Thursday 18th February 2021) at 5.05pm, The Scottish Parliament debated on the Scottish Men’s Sheds Movement during Members’ Business led by Maurice Corry MSP alongside four-minute speeches from Kenneth Gibson MSP, Rona McKay MSP, Stuart McMillan MSP and Christine Grahame MSP.

The debate is in reference to the ‘Scotland’s Men’s Sheds Movement’ motion (S5M-23991) lodged by Maurice Corry MSP on the 27th January 2021.

Watch the video below.

Does your Shed’s constitution allow for virtual meetings/new Scottish law?

‘GRACE’ PERIOD COMING TO AN END: 3OTH MARCH 2021

During the course of the pandemic, many Men’s Sheds adopted new ways of conducting meetings by carrying these out virtually. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) is advising that the governing documents of some charities do not allow for this online approach and therefore must be updated.

On the 30th September 2020, the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (Meetings of Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations) (Coronavirus) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 made legal provision to enable ‘virtual’ methods whether or not governing documents permit this.  These temporary provisions were extended until the 30th March 2021. 

OSCR is advising charities that this is likely to be the last extension to these provisions.  Therefore, it is vital that Sheds make sure they are ‘future-proofed’ in terms of being able to conduct meetings virtually by allowing for them in governance documentation. 

SMSA’s Shed-specific Constitution template

SMSA has worked with OSCR to revise its Shed-specific Constitution templates available to Sheds across Scotland:

  • Generic – Men’s Shed Template Constitution – Available in the SMSA Resource Library (member log-in required) under Open Sheds and Shed Development.
  • Ownership – SCIO Community Asset Transfer building ‘Ownership’ Constitution – Available in the SMSA Resource Library (member log-in required) under Open Sheds and Shed Development.

The changes advised by OSCR were to include the wording ‘in person and virtual’ into four different places. The above templates have been updated to reflect these recommendations.

These documents are in an editable format for your benefit and are not to be changed in any other way than adding your personal Shed charity criteria for OSCR submission. If you have adopted our SMSA/OSCR approved Shed constitution you MUST update it to this format to remain operational and legal after the March grace period. Sheds then need to notify OSCR, send the Regulator a copy of the revised constitution and ideally, the Resolution (e.g. Minute of the Board passing of the change).

If your Shed requires support, please contact Jason Schroeder, SMSA Executive Officer at ceo@scottishmsa.org.uk or call 07397382533.

Consultation Complete: SMSA Reopening Guidance for Scottish Sheds

In lockdown, the SMSA is still advising all Sheds to remain closed—until further guidance is issued from The Scottish Government.  The Association has taken this time to consult with its Shed members and partner organisations on its reopening guidance that it has been working on for several months.

The guidance (containing a 16-page document, risk assessment, new member registration form, shed visit rota, track and trace form and a cleaning checklist) provides advice and examples only for Men’s Sheds in Scotland on steps and safety measures in relation to Covid-19 to follow to safely reopen their doors again when the time is right.

SMSA wishes to thank everyone that took the time to respond to the consultation including our Shed members, Healthy Working Lives, Public Health Scotland, Age Scotland and the Scottish Government.  SMSA is now currently collating all of the feedback received and will revise the document accordingly.

This guidance is by no means definitive and is something that will be reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis over time.

Research paper released—Men’s Sheds in Scotland: the potential for improving the health of men

The latest research paper ‘Men’s Shed in Scotland; the potential for improving the health of men’ from Glasgow Caledonian University’s three-year Sheds for Sustainable Development Project has now been published in the Journal of Public Health Policy.

Recently policy has focused on the role of community-based organisations and the ways that they are tackling local health issues, such as social isolation and loneliness. 

Men’s Sheds have been recognised for the health and wellbeing impacts they have on those who use them, therefore, questions have been raised over their ability to become deliverers of formal healthcare to ‘hard to reach’ men in communities. 

With this in mind, a study was conducted with Sheds in Scotland to identify challenges to Shed sustainability and development that may affect their ability to deliver formal healthcare. 

Findings showed that a reliance on ageing and retired volunteers to undertake operational tasks and generate income to fund activities affected the ability of Sheds to sustain and develop. 

Shed members also did not wish their Sheds to become formal healthcare deliverers, preferring to keep their activities informal and flexible to fit with the needs of their members. 

In conclusion, although Sheds are recognised for their health and wellbeing benefits to men, policymakers must recognise that formalising their activities might detract from the Shed’s primary aims. Therefore, there must be a consideration of tensions that exist in placing expectations of Sheds to expand their remit and formalise into service delivery. 

Read the full research paper here.

Dr Danielle Hutcheon (nee Kelly)
Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health
Glasgow Caledonian University

SMSA ‘Men’s Shed of the Year’ features in Comic Relief 2021 National Campaign

SMSA’s ‘Scottish Men’s Shed of the Year 2020’ winner, The Inverclyde Shed, has featured in the Comic Relief: Red Nose Day 2021 national campaign for the first time.

The Scottish Men’s Shed movement continues to grow daily and two things are always guaranteed in a Men’s Shed… a cup of tea and a belly laugh! It’s the glue which binds the men together.

Join SMSA and get connected to one near you – www.scottishmsa.org.uk/find-a-shed