A report on current views and experiences of social prescribing in Men’s Sheds

The UK government has invested in social prescribing schemes to tackle loneliness and its associated health impacts. Social prescribing refers people with health problems into community-based support and initiatives to enable group and peer support.

Men’s Sheds are one example of a community organisation with involvement in social prescribing and has an overarching aim to tackle loneliness and promote wellbeing. Men’s Sheds are friendly, lively, creative places where people can learn new skills, work on projects together or individually, enjoy each other’s company and share jokes, stories and maybe even some of the problems and challenges they are facing. The Sheds aim to bring people together, to tackle loneliness through ‘making environments’, where men (and women) come together in a social space, doing practical activities (e.g. woodwork).

As one of the few community and social opportunities specifically tailored to men, Sheds have attracted the attention of health and social care services professionals, social prescribers and other statutory and voluntary sector agencies who seek to ‘refer’ their clients to groups and activities that may be able to help them. This project aimed to explore the experiences of ‘referrals’ to Sheds and the potential impact this may have.

To aid this research, 93 Shed members (from various Sheds across the UK) were surveyed – and 21 interviewed on Zoom or Teams – in the summer of 2021. The survey asked Shed members about their experiences of joining and being a member of the Shed. The interviews further explored experiences in the Shed and perceptions and experience of social prescribing and ‘referral’ processes. This included positive and negative experiences, concerns and suggestions to improve experiences of social prescribing in Sheds.

In March 2022, an online, cross-nation event “Demystifying Social Prescribing in Men’s Sheds”, in partnership with Waterford Institute of Technology and Glasgow Caledonian University, also took place to bring together Shed members, national Shed organisatons, academics and social prescribers from the UK and Ireland.

Click here to read the report

Scotland’s Census 2022

Scotland’s Census is the official count of every person and household in the country.

It usually takes place every 10 years. The census asks questions about people’s age, sex, home and living situation, employment, education and qualifications, as well as ethnicity. Every household in Scotland must complete the census and by doing so are helping to shape Scotland’s future.

Completing the census is important because the answers provide the Scottish Government, and many other service providers with the data they need to make important decisions that affect people’s lives and their communities. These decisions include how money will be spent on important services like education, housing, healthcare, roads and railways, and so much more.

From the end of February, households will begin to receive a letter with instructions on how to complete their census online.

Census Day is the 20th March but you can fill it in as soon as you receive your letter. Just make sure you answer questions with information that will be correct on the 20th March to ensure that we have a snapshot of the nation on this day.

Go to census.gov.scot or call the free helpline on 0800 030 8308 for help and guidance on the questions, or if you need support to fill it in.

Stakeholder Support Sessions

Scotland’s Census 2022 team is holding sessions to give a live demo of the online census completion website, information on the toolkit and supporting assets and the help and support available to enable people to complete the census questionnaire. We invite you to register for the relevant session by clicking on the link below.

Wednesday, 2 March 202211:00 – 12:00Click here to register for session
Wednesday, 9 March 202211:00 – 12:00Click here to register for session
Wednesday, 16 March 202211:00 – 12:00Click here to register for session

An Economic Evaluation of ‘Sheds for Life’: A Community-Based Men’s Health Initiative for Men’s Sheds in Ireland

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.

Click here to read the evaluation.

BBC case study request: Post natal depression in new dads

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.

Shoulder to Shoulder: Broadening the Men’s Shed Movement (A Book by Professor Barry Golding)

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 launches toolkit to help roll out Men’s Sheds across the UK

Glasgow Caledonian University has launched a new ‘toolkit’ to help increase the number of Men’s Sheds across the UK after research showed they improve the mental and social wellbeing of older men.

The community spaces offer the chance for men to take part in practical activities, such as woodwork, metalwork, model making or gardening, and are credited with tackling loneliness and social isolation.

Originating in Australia in the 1990s, the number of Sheds in Scotland has increased from one in 2013 to more than 190 today. There are more than 1500 across the UK and Ireland.

Researchers at GCU have been working with Men’s Sheds in Scotland to make the movement financially and socially sustainable, as part of a project backed by the National Lottery Community Fund.

It’s resulted in a new ‘toolkit’ for communities, a guide full of information on how to access funding, source sites, set up committees, run services and offer social activities.

Dr Danielle Hutcheon, research associate at the Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health at GCU, said: “The Sheds offered a lifeline for a lot of people struggling with social isolation and loneliness, especially for men who live alone or are carers.

“What we’ve seen with the Sheds being closed, since March last year, is a real decline in men’s health and wellbeing.

“A lot of the Shedders we spoke to only left the house a couple of times a week to go to the shop or to go to the Men’s Shed. That was the only social contact they had throughout the week.

“Going to the Shed gives a lot of the men a sense of purpose, they treat it almost like a job. It gives them a sense of confidence and value in their lives that they didn’t have before.

“The key to the success of the Men’s Sheds is men’s ability to talk ‘shoulder to shoulder’, while doing a task, rather than sitting face to face in a lunch club or a pub. It’s a relaxed, informal, welcoming environment.”

The toolkit, created in partnership with a range of stakeholders, including the Scottish Men’s Shed Association, Scottish Government, and Age Scotland, will be made available throughout the UK and Ireland.

Dr Hutcheon added: “It comes at an important time. There is a lot of competition for funding at the moment. The toolkit will hopefully help Sheds expand, survive and sustain.

“There’s no doubt the Sheds are having a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of a hard to reach group of men.”

Case study

Bill Core

Bill Core is a co-founder and trustee of Barrhead Men’s Shed, which opened in 2014. He’s 78-years-old and used to work in the furniture trade.

Barrhead’s Shed has 58 members and is based in an industrial unit in the town.

He said: “When I was semi-retired, I remember sitting in the house fed-up, thinking to myself what is my life going to be like when I’m fully retired? What the hell am I going to do?

“It’s fine in the summer if you can get out and do things but, in the winter, when the weather is bad, it can feel as if the walls are closing in. You find yourself looking up into the sky and thinking how long do I have before I’m up there?

“The Shed gave me a purpose to get up in the morning, it was a place to go to meet people like myself, keep busy, have a laugh and enjoy myself.

“The guys look forward to coming and arrive with a smile on their face and leave with a smile on their face.

“You get satisfaction from helping other people, from keeping minds active. A lot of members had high powered jobs in the past, there’s a real cross-section of society.

“I thoroughly enjoy making clocks from chunks of wood. I get an immense amount of satisfaction from it. Some of the stuff we’ve produced has been donated to local schools and nurseries, so the whole community is benefiting from the Shed.

“If anyone is sitting at home and thinking they would like to come along my advice would be put on your coat and do it. You won’t regret it, it will change your life for the better.”

NEW RESEARCH PAPER RELEASED: The impact of community Men’s Sheds on the physical health of their users

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.

Read the latest research paper at: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1353829221001453

The main highlights of the report include:

· Men face inequities in their access to and use of primary health services

· Research has called for more male friendly approaches to physical health engagement

· Findings suggest links between Men’s Shed activity and improved physical health of users

· Men’s Sheds may provide an alternative route for male physical health improvement

First-ever UK & Ireland Men’s Shed Toolkit launched

Glasgow Caledonian University’s ‘Sheds for Sustainable Development Project’, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and partnered with the SMSA, has launched Men’s Sheds: A toolkit for the development and sustainability of Men’s Sheds in the UK and Ireland.

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 toolkit is also available in the SMSA online resource library for individual members to access at any time.

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.

EVENT: Men’s Sheds Research Showcase and Launch of the Men’s Shed Toolkit for UK & Ireland

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

This Zoom event is the final showcase of Glasgow Caledonian University’s (GCU) Sheds for Sustainable Development Project findings and the official launch of the UK and Ireland Men’s Shed Toolkit. 

Register today to attend this exciting event showcasing the findings of the four-year GCU ‘Sheds for Sustainable Development Project’, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, and the official launch of the first-ever Men’s Shed Toolkit for the UK and Ireland.

Join Shedders, Shed support agencies, practitioners, policymakers and academics for this one-off event – bringing everyone together in support of the Men’s Shed Movement.

The event will include:

  • An overview of key project findings on what Men’s Sheds need to sustain and develop and the health and wellbeing impacts of Shed activities on their users
  • Special guest speakers from across the UK and Ireland
  • The official launch of the first-ever UK and Ireland Men’s Shed toolkit – a one stop-shop for all your Shedding needs


 

Briefing Report: How Men’s Sheds are addressing male social isolation and loneliness

The latest briefing report from Glasgow Caledonian University’s Sheds for Sustainable Development Project on how Men’s Sheds are addressing social isolation and loneliness is now available to download from the SMSA website.

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