Men's Sheds gets year's funding amid future uncertainty

Men's Sheds are run by volunteers and support men with their mental health and wellbeing

The Scottish government has agreed to fund the country's largest men's mental health charity amid uncertainty over its future.

The Scottish Men's Sheds Association (SMSA) helps set up sheds in local communities where men can take part in activities and enjoy the company of others - all designed to improve mental health and wellbeing.

Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Shirley Anne Somerville announced the funding for this financial year but would not confirm plans for future years.

Funding for the charity was scrapped in 2022 but the government agreed on a £75,000 grant last year.

This week the Sunday Post reported the charity faced being wound up as no further money had been agreed.

SMSA executive officer Jason Schroeder told the BBC they had to fight "tooth and nail" for the organisation's future.

He said: "We are the most successful and preventative charity in Scotland, no other movement provides what we're providing.

"Our ideas have even been exported to Canada and America, that's how successful it's been."

The government has not yet confirmed how much the charity will receive, but Mr Schroeder said the organisation needs £360,000 per year to run successfully.

In recent years, he said the most recent grant of £75,000 had left the SMSA running on a "skeletal" staff.

Jason Schroeder said the organisation's ideas have been exported to other countries following their success in Scotland

SMSA chairman David Gardner runs his local shed in Ayrshire. He told BBC Scotland's Drivetime programme the association relies on financial stability for their few permanent staff.

He said: "We have two full-time staff and three part-time staff and these people are contracted on a year-to-year basis, and its always a concern amongst staff when they start hearing we’re not getting funding.

"We’re a far, far larger organisation than we have been and as such, I think its fair to say we’re making a far greater contribution."

Following the funding announcement, Mr Gardner said: "Hopefully we will not have to have this battle with the government every year."

What is a Men's Shed?

The Scottish Men's Shed Association (SMSA) is the national support hub which helps local groups set up and run a Men's Shed in their local communities across Scotland.

The first started up in Westhill, Aberdeenshire in 2013 and there are now over 200 sheds across Scotland.

Local branches of Men's Sheds are run by volunteers "for the men, by the men", with the aim of fostering social inclusion and improving health and wellbeing.

Mr Gardner says the activities in each shed can vary from location to location, day to day.

He said: "The shed does what the members want it to do. If you ask 15 different men, you'll get 15 different answers.

"Most of them will have some form of woodwork or metalwork. Some will have cooking classes, exercise classes or model making, photography and arts and crafts - there is all sorts going on. They deliver to meet the needs of their members."

Activities at Men's Sheds range from woodworking and metalwork classes to cooking classes with the aim of fostering social inclusion

Speaking in parliament today, Shirley Anne Somerville said: "The Scottish government has provided £795,000 worth of funding to the Scottish Men’s Shed Association since 2016, supporting the movement to grow from five sheds to 200 across Scotland.

"We understand that it’s a very challenging time for small organisations and that the SMSA are working to secure funding from charity donors and from the private sector.

"Given this, I can confirm today that we will work with the organisation to identify and to provide the funding for this financial year to ensure that we support them in the months ahead to develop broad, sustainable support for this important national organisation.

"We hope this will help to avoid future uncertainty and assist local sheds to flourish."

Scottish Labour MSP Paul O'Kane who posed the question to the cabinet secretary said: “Instead of receiving funding on time the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association was made to wait anxiously for an answer about its own future from the Scottish government.

“I want to see the Scottish government go further than it did today by coming forward with a plan for sustainable long term funding.

“The Men’s Sheds Association and other third sector organisations can’t plan for or invest in any long-term projects if they don’t have that guarantee of sustainable funding."