Thursday, April 25, 2019

Men's Sheds debated in Scottish Parliament


It's not often that sheds are debated at the highest levels so hats off to the Scottish Parliament for their recent debate on Men's Sheds in Scotland (you can find the Scottish Men's Sheds Association here). Here was the motion under consideration:
That the Parliament recognises the important contribution that the Men’s Sheds movement makes to people’s wellbeing; notes that there are now sheds running or in development across the length and breadth of the country, including in Lauder, Galashiels, Peebles, Mayfield and Roslin; understands that the activities and groups vary from community to community but that, by and large, the sheds provide a meeting place for men to undertake activities in a friendly, supportive and social environment; believes that such groups can have a positive impact on men’s mental health and wellbeing by providing supportive groups that offer an opportunity for them to feel more able to open up about anything bothering them as well as helping them build positive ties in their community, and hopes that more sheds can continue to be established.
You can read the full debate here or watch it in the video below - it's rather heartwarming and I'd strongly recommend it - but here is an excerpt:
[Christine Grahame, SNP] The fight for facilities and funding pulls the men together from the start. The shed is theirs and of their making and their shaping. Because there is no predetermined, one-size-fits-all format, it is up to the members, and that is exactly how it should be. Those members have diverse skills, and the retired accountant and the retired joiner are equally useful. What they do is up to them. Galashiels Men’s Shed has made 60 feeders for red squirrels and carried out furniture repairs for the Aberlour Child Care Trust.
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