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.

The announcement was made following three weeks of public voting. The votes came down to the wire for three worthy finalists – Banff, Macduff and District Men’s Shed, Carluke Men’s Shed and Carse of Gowrie Men’s Shed – as they rallied for their communities and supporters to get behind them.

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 10^th 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