Guidance - Scottish Men's Sheds Association

Running Shed Meetings – Templates

Templates to get your Shed started to run effective Shed committee meetings and Annual General Meetings (AGM):

Committee Meeting – Agenda and Minutes Templates

Men’s Sheds must hold regular meetings and keep records (minutes) of what has been agreed at each one.

Agendas should be sent to all Trustees inviting them to the meeting. Trustees must receive all the relevant information required to give them plenty of time to prepare.

Agenda – Template

Minute – Template

Annual General Meeting (AGM) – Agenda, Minutes and Proxy Voting Form Templates

An Annual General Meeting (AGM) provides the opportunity for trustees to detail and explain their management and running of the charity or organisation to its members.

The AGM also provides an opportunity for members to ask questions and vote on AGM business matters e.g. changes to governing documents.

AGM Agenda – Template

AGM Minute – Template

Proxy Voting Form – Template

The do’s and don’ts of social media for Sheds…

Working with Sheds across the nation, the SMSA team often hear about concerns arising over Shed social media accounts.

There are so many opportunities to be gained through social media—and it should be considered as an extremely useful and positive tool—including raising awareness of your activities; sharing your latest news announcements fast; building relationships; staying connected; reaching wider audiences; targeting a younger Shed member audience and to thank/recognise funders and supporters.

That said, if your social media presence is not managed correctly it can start to cause a whole range of issues—below are some top tips for Sheds to cover some of the concerns that have been brought to our attention:

Always have more than one administrator

The SMSA often hears about Sheds having duplicate accounts/pages as login details have been misplaced/lost, or the sole administrator of the account has moved on or unfortunately passed away. Always having more than one administrator will solve this problem and ensure maintaining the accounts is not just the responsibility of one person. Social media activity can be something the whole Shed can become involved in.

Make social media a part of your day-to-day Shed activities

To maximise the potential of social media, you need to keep your audience engaged on a regular basis. Consider adding the topic to your meeting agendas as a regular item to discuss—“What posts can we share to social media this month?” “Who can take the photo at that cheque presentation next week?” “Who can advise the Facebook Administrator on the details of that community project?”

Your community and supporters (and potential new members) want to see photos/updates of what it is like in the Shed i.e. members playing cards, working on projects together…even just a photo of Bob and John having a laugh over a cup of tea! They want to see Shed life.

Ensure your administrators are social media savvy

Your administrators will receive all notifications of posts and comments to the page and should respond and chat to followers/subscribers in a timely, polite, respectful and professional manner. It is important to interact with your audience and think twice (and proof read) before you share/post or respond to anything in the public domain. Be informative, offer support and show empathy and kindness at all times.

Responding to negative feedback/comments

Some topics/conversations may be controversial or divisive. After all, life would be boring if we all had the same opinions however, the way comments/feedback are dealt with is extremely important. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and it is important not to ignore comments that you do not agree with or leave questions unanswered and certainly do not ‘block’ the person because you do not like what they have to say. Respond to the person quickly in an open and transparent way, answering their query/concern and then invite them ‘offline’ to chat on the phone or in person to discuss the matter further.

Ensure administrators have the time to dedicate to social media

It is important to post regularly on your Shed news, funding successes, projects etc to keep you audience informed and engaged. Nothing is more off-putting than going to view a page that is out-of-date and not posted for a long time. When you recruit administrators, please ensure that they have the time to dedicate to this project and are fully-aware that the page will be updated regularly.

Get creative with your content

Use the platform to get the word out and showcase what you Shed has to offer—plenty of photos and videos of your facilities and your Shedders in action. It can often be intimidating or overwhelming for someone to come along for the first time so use social media as an opportunity to give a ‘virtual tour’ of the Shed as the welcoming, friendly and inclusive environment that it is. Get creative with your content, get the members involved in the videos and photos to make updating the social media a fun task.

Recognise and promote partnerships and relationships

If your Shed works in partnership with another individual, community group or organisation—to give or receive support—take photos of the project in progress or some before and after shots, presentations or events etc and tag each other into posts to promote the initiative and recognise the support.

Record the engagement

Sheds can utilise the engagement through their social media to harvest testimonials and feedback received on projects and record and promote this information in funding applications, evaluations and impact reports.

Keep personal accounts separate

Where possible, try to keep personal social media accounts out of the loop. Try setting up a new generic account and all of your administrators can use this one account to log-in and maintain the page. This also means that notifications can be set up to come into the Shed email address instead of personal email inboxes.

And finally, change your passwords regularly

Social media accounts can unfortunately be at risk of being hacked. Keep your social media accounts safe by changing your passwords regularly (quarterly is advised) and also after an administrator leaves the role.

Need some extra advice?

Feel free to contact Michelle Wibrew, SMSA PR & Communications Officer at comms@scottishmsa.org.uk

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.

Ten Scottish Men’s Sheds receive life-saving kit through charity partnership

The Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA) has partnered up with Scotland’s only dedicated first aid charity and leading first aid training provider, St Andrew’s First Aid, to provide free Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to ten Scottish Men’s Sheds.

The SMSA put a call out to the 190+ Men’s Sheds across Scotland inviting them to apply for the Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and received 44 applications showing a huge demand for this vital equipment (retailed at just over £1,500) to be located at Shed premises across Scotland.

The ten recipients will use the equipment to not only protect their members but – with the addition of an outdoor cabinet purchased by the Shed – will also make them accessible to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Sudden cardiac arrest strikes 7 million people a year worldwide with no warning and no pattern. There’s little time to react and even less time to think, this means an AED must be close at hand, easy-to-use and ready to shock. Chris Jowsey, Treasurer of Glenkens Men’s Shed, said: “One of our members had a cardiac arrest whilst at the Shed and sadly passed away despite the prompt actions of his fellow Shedders to get medical assistance. We can’t help but wonder if we’d had a defibrillator that day, if the outcome might have been different.

“We are delighted to have received this defibrillator through the SMSA and St Andrews First Aid and to be able to make it accessible to our entire community.”

Tom Bennett of Springburn Park Men’s Shed said: “We have been trying to raise funds for a defibrillator for over two years for our Shed located within a public park in our village. We are thrilled to accept and maintain this defibrillator and make it accessible to our members, other community groups, park users and the general public.”

Brian Kerr, Secretary of Dumfries Men`s Shed, said: “We are very pleased to have been one of the ten Sheds selected to receive one of the defibrillator units. We really appreciate it, and being in larger premises with new members already joining, it is re-assuring to know that in the unfortunate event that it is needed, we could possibly save someone`s life with this kit. It doesn’t get any more serious than life and death and we are very grateful to both the SMSA and St Andrews First Aid for their donation.”

Jim Dorman, Director of Campaigns and Public Engagement at St Andrew’s First Aid, said: “Knowing that these vital pieces of equipment will be available to both members of the ten Sheds and to the wider communities will hopefully bring considerable peace of mind. With every minute that passes following a cardiac arrest, the chance of survival drops by 10%. Swift use of a defibrillator is all the difference needed to significantly increase a person’s chance of survival. We are delighted to donate these defibrillators to help more communities save lives.”

The successful Men’s Sheds across Scotland are: Aberchirder & District Men’s Shed; Forfar and District Men’s Shed; Glenkens Men’s Shed; Inverurie & District Men’s Shed; Macmerry Men’s Shed; Mens Shed Dumfries; Pentlands Men’s Shed; Peterhead & District Men’s Shed; Springburn Park Men’s Shed; and Whale Firth Men’s Shed.

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

Your Shed and Dementia: A manual from the Irish Men’s Sheds Association

The Irish Men’s Sheds Association (IMSA) has produced this manual to raise awareness of dementia as well as offer advice for Shedders, their families, carers and Shed committees on supporting a member with dementia.

Adapted from a version created by The Australian Men’s Sheds Association (AMSA) and Alzheimer’s Australia NSW, the ‘Your Shed & Dementia’ manual has been launched to better facilitate men with the condition and make sure there’s a place for them in local groups.

Developed in partnership with the HSE’s Dementia: Understand Together campaign and The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, the manual offers tools to help Shedders recognise signs of dementia, as well as offering practical communication and listening tips.

Click here to view/download the manual.

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

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 Shed 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.

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

Men’s Sheds recognised at Voluntary Sector Hustings

Men’s Sheds don’t do politics in the Sheds but at the SMSA we work with all parties to support the Scottish Men’s Sheds Movement.

With the upcoming election and launch of SMSA’s first-ever Manifesto (and issue of this publication to all candidates), it was excellent to hear a leader of a national party reference Men’s Sheds (St Andrews Men’s Shed) in his opening address at the recent SCVO Hustings event. The Movement is getting well established and to get this level of endorsement is a very positive and welcome sign after a very difficult year.

It was also encouraging to hear the leaders of the main Scottish political parties pledge their commitment to multi-year funding for the voluntary sector.

Read the full story here and watch the video below (the reference to Men’s Sheds is approximately 7 minutes in).

Manifesto

The SMSA’S manifesto was created to call on politicians and funders to support men’s health and wellbeing through Scottish Men’s Sheds.

The Association, which is trailblazing the Men’s Sheds Movement in Scotland, recommends five key actions for politicians, invested groups and the general public as a whole to support Men’s Sheds and fully recognise the wealth of health and wellbeing benefits for men over the age of 18.

SMSA’s vision is that every man in Scotland will, one day, have access to—and the opportunity to attend—their local Men’s Shed if they choose to do so. Jason Schroeder, SMSA CEO, said: “SMSA is launching this manifesto at just the right time. Sheds will be needed more than ever in post-COVID-19 recovery and it is vital to expand the SMSA and its support mechanism in line with the growth of the Movement to support Sheds across Scotland now and in the years to come.

“Investment and support to lead change is required to underpin the ongoing creation of this health by stealth and voluntary social wellbeing pathway for men. SMSA is also recommending that localised support across the Shed network is embedded; a start-up and development fund for Sheds is implemented; a focused national awareness campaign is delivered; and the reach to the Armed Forces and Veterans community and Blue Light services is improved on.”

SMSA pledges to continue making a real difference by empowering thousands of men (our sons, brothers, fathers, uncles and grandfathers) and their communities – over the coming years – to play their part in a system change towards a wellbeing economy.