opendoorsday - Scottish Men's Sheds Association

Have your say on SMSA's Shed Open Doors Day!

The SMSA has received a real mix of feedback about Shed Open Doors Day 2025. Some groups enjoyed a strong turnout and even welcomed new members (brilliant news!), while others were hit by difficult weather that kept the community indoors.

Above all, we want everyone to stay safe and feel the day is worthwhile. The original idea was to mark International Men’s Day on the 19th November each year together, but we’re now exploring whether another time of year might work better. The great outcome is that new men did join their local Sheds — that’s a win for the movement and something to build on.

Looking ahead, we’d love to hear your thoughts on shifting our Open Doors event to a more dependable spot in the calendar, or even trying a full Open Month format in June. Men’s Health Week 2026 runs from the 8th–14th June, just before Father’s Day — a national moment that already puts men’s wellbeing in the spotlight. This could be a strong fit, but we want to hear from you, our members.

Have your say in the poll below!

Name (you can remain anonymous if you wish)

When would you prefer the SMSA Shed Open Doors event to take place?(Required)

Keep it linked to International Men's Day (19 Nov)

Move it to Men’s Health Week in the summer (8–14 June)

Open Doors Day Month in June – better weather and flexible dates (to coincide with Shed ‘s existing opening times)

Try a different date entirely (tell us in the comments)

No preference

No Shed Open Doors Day at all (please explain below)

Comments (please give your email address if you wish to have a response from the SMSA team)