Get your Shed cairtie ready for a hurl at this year’s Royal Deeside Motor Show Cartie Race!

The SMSA has partnered up with The Royal Deeside Cartie Race 2021!  The event—which will take place on Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th July 2021 on the Kincardine Castle drive as part of the Royal Deeside Motor Show—consists of teams that have built and race their own push-along racing carts. 

Jason Schroeder, SMSA Executive Officer, said: “Not only will the SMSA have a presence and a stall at this two-day event, but we are also asking Sheds across Scotland to join us and enter their own teams for this fun family event. Sheds can enter for the race on the Saturday or the Sunday and who better to design and build the winning cairtie than our Scottish Shedders!

“This year, the theme for entries is Masked Crusaders and the best entry will win a prize. SMSA is also appealing for Sheds local to Deeside and the surrounding area to get involved in the actual build of the race track.  If your Shed is interested, please get in touch. 

“This is just a bit of fun after a very difficult year and all safety measures and physical distancing will be in place for this outdoor event. 

“This is an opportunity for Shedders to get back into the Shed in small numbers—utilising Pathfindr Safe Distancing Assistant technology—to get back working on fun projects together.”

Stephen Hall from the Scottish Cartie Association said: “Each team will be allocated two runs in order to secure their fastest time. The course follows a route down the drive at speeds of up to 40 mph. The driver will have the option of taking either a short chicane or a jump to test their skills on the Ski Slalom!”

“The event is limited to a maximum of 40 entrants. There is a junior category (driver is aged between 12 and 17 on the date of the race) and an adult category (driver is aged 18 or over on the date of the race).

“The extravaganza will see up to 40 carts going head to head in a time trial challenge. We also aim to help raise funds for Charlie House and for the SMSA.

“Soapbox racing was popularised in America and refers to an unpowered cart which is raced downhill, with gravity being the only form of propulsion. In Scotland, we traditionally call a soap box a ‘Cartie’ or ‘Kert-ie’ in Doric. A grand final will be held at the end of the day, with the top teams from the junior and adult categories going head to head to determine a final winner. Don’t forget, you need time to build your cartie, so enter as soon as possible to guarantee your entry for 2021!”

Full entry details, including design regulations and the rules, are available on the website at https://etiom.co.uk/royal-deeside-motor-show/cartie-race. 

DISCOUNTED ENTRY FEE FOR SHEDS: The entry fee is discounted from £45 to £25 per Shed team (plus £15 per person for event ticket) however SMSA will reimburse the £25 entry fee to all Sheds that race at the event.

Prostate Scotland ToolBox Workshops for Sheds

Following the recent release of Men’s Sheds in Scotland research from Glasgow Caledonian University on the health benefits of Sheds, Shedders may be thinking more about health awareness and education for their members. With this in mind, Prostate Scotland would like to let Shedders know about a new opportunity available for Sheds to raise awareness of prostate disease/cancer. Prostate Scotland can offer its new Zoom ToolBox Workshop to individual Sheds or Sheds coming together online.  

Why?

A survey for Prostate Scotland found that just over 50% of the general public surveyed and only 1/3 of men over the age of 55 could name a symptom of prostate disease/cancer. Yet an enlarging prostate or Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) affects almost 1 in 2 men over the age of 50.  Prostate cancer is the most common cancer for men in Scotland with a 1 in 10 lifetime risk of a man developing prostate cancer. Prostatitis can affect men from the age of 18 with it being most common between 30 and 50 years.

Interested in a Zoom Toolbox Workshop?

So why not get in touch with Mae Bell to find out more and organise a Zoom ToolBox Workshop? It will be well worth 30 minutes of your Shedders’ time!  Contact Mae on 0131 603 8663 or mae.bell@prostatescotland.org.uk

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.

SMSA National Shed Zoom Meeting

SMSA National Shed Zoom Meeting
Thursday 21st January 2021
10am—1pm (estimated finish time)

**THIS EVENT HAS NOW PASSED AND WAS FULLY SUBSCRIBED** 

Following on from the last National Shed Network meeting, the purpose of this event is to hear from Scottish Men’s Sheds on how the recent lockdown announcement has affected them and their plans going forward in 2021. 

Join Jason Schroeder (SMSA’s Executive Officer) and Tim Green (Age Scotland’s Community Development Officer – Men’s Sheds) for this open discussion on:

  • the state of play at your Shed;
  • the emergency funding for Sheds in crisis due to the pandemic; and
  • the SMSA Reopening Guidance for Men’s Sheds in Scotland.

Have you been affected by cancer?

The Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA) – in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support – wants to hear from Shedders that have cancer, have had cancer or who are supporting or caring for someone with cancer.

Cancer doesn’t just affect the person; it also affects family members, friends, carers and communities. A life-changing diagnosis can influence relationships, finances, careers and emotions.  Men’s Sheds offer an empowering place for men to come together voluntarily to make friends, re-engage with purpose, enjoy healthy lives and even learn new skills. Even though Sheds are temporarily closed, due to Covid-19 restrictions, these strong connections with fellow Shedders are still being maintained.

SMSA is looking to bring together a group of men willing to meet online to share their cancer experiences and stories.  What helped most? What were the challenges/barriers? What type of cancer? What was missing on your journey? What improvements could have been made? All these real-life experiences, from a male perspective, will assist SMSA to develop effective resources and ultimately, save lives.

This invaluable information will be used to produce health-focused information leaflets and a series of animations for Men’s Sheds across Scotland to support men going through this journey.  The aim of this project is to raise awareness of the impact cancer has in men’s lives (of all ages) and to encourage more men to be aware of it earlier on. The Shed is the perfect place for these conversations and for the knowledge to be shared.
 

Interested?

Please contact Jason Schroeder, SMSA Executive Officer, by email or call 07397382533.

The Inverclyde Shed crowned Scottish ‘Men’s Shed of the Year’ 2020

The public has voted and—after 1,579 votes and a very close race—The Inverclyde Shed has been crowned Scottish ‘Men’s Shed of the Year’ 2020 by the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA).

It was neck and neck between the three shortlisted Sheds as the public voted online for their winner from Garnock Valley Men’s Shed, The Inverclyde Shed and Kinross & District Men’s Shed. 

The Inverclyde Shed was announced as the winner—receiving 573 (36%) of the votes—at the SMSA AGM & ’Men’s Shed of the Year’ Awards 2020 on Wednesday 16th September on Zoom.  Garnock Valley Men’s Shed came a close second with 511 votes and Kinross & District Men’s Shed was the second runner-up with 495. 

Chairman of The Inverclyde Shed, Bruce Newlands, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won this prestigious award and title.  This shows a huge vote of confidence that there are really good people doing some really great things here in Inverclyde!

“It was encouraging to hear Aberchirder & District Men’s Shed share what they have gained from winning the SMSA award last year and we hope to be just as successful.  We plan to really maximise the potential of this opportunity to further promote ourselves in our local community, and with funders, to expand our offering and attract more men along to our Sheds.

“It must be recognised that, although this is a competition, there is absolutely no rivalry with our fellow Men’s Sheds.  Sheds are all at different stages and sizes and we have only been inspired, encouraged and supported by other Sheds to implement activities and ideas that have worked for them. We invested in a 3D printer after hearing about Kinross & District Men’s Shed creating face visors for frontline workers and launched a carving club after hearing about the success of the modellers’ club offering at Garnock Valley Men’s Shed.  This award showcases the great work being carried out by Sheds across Scotland so we can share knowledge and ideas to improve the health and wellbeing of the men in our communities.”

The Inverclyde Shed was formally constituted in January 2018, offering a safe place for men to make friends, learn new skills and mentor others at its first 700sqft Shed at Captain Street in Greenock.  The charity has grown from strength to strength and now has a board of six from a cohort of 45 active voting members and almost 500 associate members.  The Shed expanded its offering to include a second 700sqft workshop space by mid-2019.   

In March 2019, the Shed successfully secured funding from the National Lottery Community Fund to cover rent for the next five years.  In August 2019, the Shedders took on the management of a community garden space in Gourock and were successful with a Community Asset Transfer – 25-year low cost lease request – for a 4,000sqft industrial unit in Greenock in March 2020. Renovation is targeted to start in May 2021 subject to success with the Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund. The charity has also recently been able to open a smaller Shed focused on digital fabrication/distance working in Gourock, partly as a response to Covid-19 but also to attract a younger demographic. 

The three finalists each received a cash prize from the SMSA; free or discounted Machine Competency and Woodwork training day from partner, David Young Training; and a year’s free Shed accounts package from Thyme Accountants to support the Shed Treasurer.  The winner also received the esteemed targe trophy and a £100 voucher from partner, Axminster Tools & Machinery.

Last year’s winner, Aberchirder & District Men’s Shed (ADMS), will hand over the esteemed targe trophy at a physically-distanced handover in the near future.  ADMS has been busy in lockdown designing and producing a unique stand for the trophy to be passed on to this year’s winner.  ADMS received a surprise at the online awards event when they were shown a replica of the trophy, created by David Young Training, to display in their Shed to forever recognise them as the Awards’ inaugural winner.

It is time to vote for your Scottish ‘Men’s Shed of the Year’ 2020!

*VOTING CLOSED AT MIDNIGHT ON SUNDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2020*

It is time for the public to have their say on who will be crowned this year’s Scottish ‘Men’s Shed of the Year’ 2020.

The Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA) has today announced the top three Men’s Sheds shortlisted for this prestigious award that recognises and rewards the contribution and impact Men’s Sheds make to society.

The three Scottish Men’s Sheds shortlisted by SMSA’s Board of Trustees from all the applications received were announced as Garnock Valley Men’s Shed, Inverclyde Shed and Kinross & District Men’s Shed.

Jason Schroeder, SMSA’s Executive Officer, said: “The applications were of an incredibly high standard and it was certainly a difficult decision for our judging panel. The awards not only showcase the Sheds for the fantastic work that they do but also promotes good practice and inspires other men to set up new Men’s Sheds across Scotland where there is a need.

“It has been great to read about all the life-changing activities taking place in the Sheds but this year’s applications have also highlighted the Covid-19 support that Shedders have provided in their communities and also how they stayed connected to each other during these unprecedented times.  The public has a week to vote to crown their winner and truly recognise and reward the impact Sheds have in their localities.”

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the awards event will take place virtually on Zoom this year and will coincide with the Association’s Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 16th September 2019.

The winner and two runners-up will be announced on the day.  The winner will receive the esteemed targe trophy – designed and collectively created by SMSA and several Sheds – to display at their Shed for a year – on top of a cash prize. 

Other prizes include a free machine competency and woodwork training day from David Young Training (plus runner up discounts with a collective value of over £1,000); accounts packages from Thyme Accountancy (worth over £500) and a gift voucher from Axminster Tools & Machinery.