This is the first study to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of health endeavors in Sheds.
Men’s Sheds attract a diverse cohort of men and, as such, have been identified as spaces with the potential to engage marginalized sub-populations with more structured health promotion.
‘Sheds for Life’ is a 10-week men’s health initiative for Sheds in Ireland and the first structured health promotion initiative formally evaluated in Sheds. Cost is an important implementation outcome in the evaluation of Sheds for Life when operating in an environment where budgets are limited.
Therefore, an economic evaluation is critical to highlight cost-effectiveness for decision makers who determine sustainability.
Becoming a father can be the happiest time in a man’s life, but for some it can bring unexpected feelings of anxiety, stress and guilt. Until recently, mental health concerns for new dads were little understood and, often, went unaired. But some men, who have experienced postnatal depression, hope that telling their story will encourage others to open up.
The SMSA has been contacted by BBC Scotland Broadcast Journalist Steven McCaul who is working on a news story looking at mental health support for new fathers in Scotland.
Steve is looking to interview Scottish fathers who have experienced postnatal depression. Is there anyone within our Scottish Men’s Shed community who would be happy to speak to him?
Filming will begin at the start of February. If you are interested in being involved, please get in touch with Steven on 07912 184206 or email steven.mccaul@bbc.co.uk to arrange to be interviewed.
Steve is happy for his details to be shared widely to reach Scottish fathers.
Professor Barry Golding AM – an internationally-published researcher and writer, associated with Federation University in Australia, who wrote ‘The Men’s Shed Movement: The Company of Men’ book in 2015 – has now produced a timely sequel entitled ‘Shoulder to Shoulder: Broadening the Men’s Shed Movement’.
The book was published in the US in late October and is available with a special offer to SMSA members! Anyone wishing to buy the 2015 book on the same order as the sequel will receive a 25% discount when they use the code—SHOULDER2021.
Essential reading for all Shedders, Shed-based organisations and anyone interested in learning more about the 3,000 very diverse Sheds open in community settings in more than ten nations around the world, check out the links below for more information on the two books:
A carefully researched and easy-to-read, evidence-based book about how and why the Shed model works and how the Movement, the scope and reach of Sheds might be broadened post COVID-19. The book features 130 illustrative case studies about Men’s Sheds and national movements across Australia, the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, the US, Canada and Denmark. Inclusive of women’s Sheds and research evidence about impact.
Chapter 3 of the new book, called ‘Men’s Sheds in the UK’ (pages 119-186) includes information on Scottish Sheds and the SMSA. The book also includes 20 diverse UK Shed case studies (including six from Scotland) amongst the 131 case studies from around the world.
Glasgow Caledonian University’s Sheds for Sustainable Development Project has announced the publication of a new paper on the physical health effects of Men’s Sheds on their users.
The toolkit provides easily accessible support and guidance where needed on a Shed journey and is split into two main sections.
Part 1 provides guidance to those thinking of starting a Men’s Shed or those in the development stages.
Part 2 is for Sheds that are already established who might be looking for advice and information e.g. how to overcome unexpected challenges.
The toolkit can also be a useful reference point for agencies supporting Sheds and at the back of the toolkit, there is a list of useful sources of information and support.
The Men’s Sheds toolkit was written by Dr Danielle Kelly and Professor Artur Steiner, Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health of Glasgow Caledonian University. The SMSA is delighted to be involved in developing this guide for Sheds as part of this four-year partnership project.
Men’s Sheds in the UK have been highlighted for the impact they can have on men’s social wellbeing but less is known about their ability to address social isolation and loneliness, especially among retired and unemployed men.
This report outlines findings from in-depth interviews with 62 Men’s Shed members from five Scottish Sheds, exploring the ways in which Shed activities address risk factors for male social isolation and loneliness.
The findings suggest that Men’s Sheds offer a range of activities that are conducive to meeting new people and forming social networks where this had been previously lacking. In particular, Sheds were found to be beneficial to those who were socially isolated due to retirement or living alone.
Although Sheds are not a formal healthcare service, there is potential for partnership working with policymakers and practitioners through models such as social prescribing or signposting.
The study also explores the role Sheds could take in post-COVID-19 recovery.
Dr Danielle Hutcheon (nee Kelly) Glasgow Caledonian University
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:
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.
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.
The latest briefing (April 2020) from the Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) Sheds for Sustainable Development Project (funded by the National Lottery Community Fund) is now available.
What the study suggests is that Men’s Sheds not only have positive impacts on the physical, mental and social health of their users, but also on member’s behaviours and attitudes around their health and the health of others.
This includes INCREASES IN MEN’S HEALTH SEEKING BEHAVIOURS, such as learning about health issues in a ‘male friendly’ way, or improving diet and exercise. IMPROVEMENTS IN MEN’S RESILIENCE AND ABILITY TO COPE WITH ILLNESS, such as managing pain or stress. And finally, men’s INCREASED ABILITY TO RECOVER FROM ILLNESS through physical activity, social contact and sharing experiences with others.
However, what is clear is that Men’s Sheds do not have the capacity to become a ‘formalised’ or alternative health service as this is simply outside of their remit and does not fit with the Shed ‘ethos’. Therefore, health practitioners and policymakers may need to find new novel ways of working in partnership in Men’s Sheds to benefit.
Although we may be going through some tough times with current lockdowns, we look forward to continuing to share this work and keep the conversations going!
The Glasgow Caledonian University ‘Sheds for Sustainable Development Project’ – now in its second year of a three-year project – has released its next policy briefing outlining emerging findings from their in-depth study on the health and wellbeing impacts of Shed activity.
The University will continue to produce these short policy briefings throughout the remainder of the project. For further information on the project and for previous publications/reports please click here.
