Scottish Men's Sheds Association

22/06/2026

💙 Small charities. Big impact.

This (22–29 June 2026) we're celebrating the incredible Men's Sheds that make a difference in communities across Scotland every day 🥳💙

From reducing loneliness and improving wellbeing to sharing skills, supporting local projects and creating lasting friendships, Sheds provide spaces where men can connect, contribute and thrive.

A huge thank you to the volunteers, trustees, partners and members who keep our Sheds running. Your dedication is strengthening communities and changing lives, one conversation, one project and one Shed at a time.



Find out more about Small Charity Week:

Small Charity Week amplifies, supports and connects small charities right across the UK. Join us to empower your team, access practical support, and make connections.

21/06/2026

What better way to round off than by recognising the fathers amongst us this Father's Day 🥳 👨‍🍼

Father's Day reminds us of the important role fathers, father figures and grandfathers play in our lives. Through Men's Sheds, we see every day how men share their wisdom, stories, and encouragement with others. Whether it's a supporting shoulder to lean on through the tough times, being part of the banter over a cuppa to teaching someone a new skill 'shoulder to shoulder', many of the qualities that make a great dad are also at the heart of Shed life.

Men's Sheds are places where intergenerational friendships are built, confidence grows, and skills and knowledge are passed from one generation to the next. They provide opportunities for men to stay connected, support one another, and continue making a positive difference in their communities. While Father's Day shines a spotlight on dads, we know that being a father, mentor, role model, or positive male influence is something worth celebrating every single day.

To all the dads in our Shed community, thank you for everything you do… Happy Father's Day.

19/06/2026

Here are three new faces at Lybster Community Mens Shed during their Shed Open Doors event this week! 👏

It's great to see local people dropping in, finding out what the Shed is all about, and enjoying a warm welcome. They also joined the SMSA as individual members at the same time and took away six forms for friends.

How did your Shed get on during Shed Open Doors 2026 this week to mark ? We'd love to hear how many visitors you welcomed and see some photos from your events. Let us know at [email protected]

19/06/2026

As part of Men's Health Week, take a moment to learn the signs and symptoms of an enlarged prostate. These symptoms may be linked to Benign Prostatic Enlargement (BPE), a common prostate condition that affects many men as they get older.

It's important to know that BPE does not cause prostate cancer and does not increase your risk of developing prostate cancer.

If you're experiencing symptoms or are concerned about your prostate health, speak to your GP.

For trusted information about BPE, symptoms and treatment options, we recommend visiting Prostate Scotland’s website at https://www.prostatescotland.org.uk/disease-tests-and-treatments/benign-prostatic-hyperplastia-bph

18/06/2026

Did you know?

Getting up several times during the night to go to the toilet isn't something you just have to put up with.

For some men, it can be linked to Benign Prostatic Enlargement (BPE), a common prostate condition that becomes more common with age.

BPE can affect men from their 40s onwards and support and treatment are available.

If you're experiencing symptoms or are concerned about your prostate health, speak to your GP.

For trusted information about BPE, symptoms and treatment options, we recommend visiting Prostate Scotland’s website at https://www.prostatescotland.org.uk/disease-tests-and-treatments/benign-prostatic-hyperplastia-bph

16/06/2026

Need to p*e more often?

As part of Men's Health Week, we're encouraging men to pay attention to their prostate health.

Many men assume needing to p*e more often is simply part of getting older. It can be, but it can also be linked to an enlarged prostate.

Benign Prostatic Enlargement (BPE) is a common prostate condition that can affect men from their 40s onwards and becomes more common with age.

Support and treatment are available, so don't ignore symptoms.

If you're experiencing symptoms or are concerned about your prostate health, speak to your GP.

For trusted information about BPE, symptoms and treatment options, we recommend visiting Prostate Scotland’s website at https://www.prostatescotland.org.uk/disease-tests-and-treatments/benign-prostatic-hyperplastia-bph

15/06/2026

After an early start in the North-East on Tuesday 9th June, and a quick pit-stop in Forfar, SMSA CEO Jason Schroeder and Development Officer Brian McWilliam arrived at a sunny Cultybraggan Camp in scenic Perthshire for the Perth & Kinross Network meeting, hosted by Comrie & District Men’s Shed.

Jason and Brian were met by a dozen members from the Comrie, Breadalbane and Kinross Sheds who were enjoying a cup of tea/coffee in the sunshine. This gave Brian the opportunity to chat to members from this area for the first time.

Cultybraggan Camp is home to the Comrie & District Men’s Shed and is a unique environment. It is Scotland’s last remaining Prisoner of War Camp and was constructed during the Second World War to house up to 4,000 prisoners, first Italian and then German POWs. Named POW Camp 21, it had a notoriously hard reputation, housing dozens of SS Officers, members of the Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe and Marine Corps among others. Following its closure as an MoD training camp in 2004, the 80+ Nissen Huts were purchased by the village of Comrie in 2007. The Camp is now a busy tourist attraction and the Comrie Men’s Shed occupy a double Nissen hut which was previously the camp NAAFI.

Members then moved to a nearby hut for the Network meeting, just as the heavens opened up with some heavy rain. There was an excellent level of discussion from everyone around the table, and it would have been even better if we could have seen some more Sheds represented. Items discussed were:

• Brian reminded everyone of the Shed Open Doors 2026 event during Men’s Health Week 15 – 21st June and Breadalbane Shed even signed up mid-discussion, which was great.
• We talked about the need to keep the SMSA website map contact details up to date, particularly given that this part of the website receives 3,000 visits monthly and the Sheds might be missing out on making contacts if the details are not up to date. Sheds were advised to let the Development Officer know if any amendments were needed.
• Following on from the chat around keeping website contact data up to date, the Sheds talked about the issues in keeping their own membership records up to date.
• Much discussion was held on how we as an organisation attract younger members to the Sheds. We talked about partnerships with local schools and the associated need for PVGs – and the view that it should be the schools who fund the PVG costs. We talked around, would evening or weekend opening help to get younger members into the Sheds, particularly those already working.
• Jason talked on the statistics around the numbers of Armed Services personnel who leave the services each year and the potential for members from here.
• We discussed where best to promote Sheds using local spaces, such as using Supermarket Notice boards.
• Brian reminded everyone that although Sheds are members of the SMSA, members can sign up as individual members also. We had membership forms available for Sheds to take away and this then led into a discussion on the ‘Silent no More’ campaign with Jason advising that we still have a fair bit to go to get to our target of 5,000 signatures to take our case to the Scottish Government.
• Jason talked about Social Prescribing and handed out the SMSA leaflets that can be offered to Health Care professionals during the process of introductions/referrals to Sheds.
• Shed of the Year Awards: Brian reminded everyone that the closing date for applications is 30th June and encouraged everyone to think seriously about putting their Sheds forward for consideration.
• Shed Membership Pack: Jason talked everyone through the SMSA Shed Membership Pack which will be issued to Sheds annually, along with the membership certificate, when they pay their annual subscription. This will allow an up-to-date version to be available in Sheds for anyone that wants to read through it and an online version will also be available and which will have the necessary links to access further specific detail. These should be ready soon for sending out to Sheds.

Once the formal round table discussions were finished, we all made our way back to the main Shed and enjoyed refreshments of tea/coffee and excellent bacon rolls.

We were then shown round the Comrie Shed, which covers a large space within the double Nissen hut. They have areas for woodworking, metal working (where they have a great selection of machinery donated by Glasgow University) and also a craft area, kitchen and a social area. Comrie had a selection of tabletop tools/machines which they had duplicates of and which were available to anyone who wanted these, and it was pleasing to see that some were indeed taken for new homes at the visiting Sheds.

Our thanks go to Chairman Adrian Torry and the members of Comrie and District Shed for the wonderful hospitality on the day 👍

15/06/2026

It's Men's Health Week!

To mark Men's Health Week, the SMSA is facilitating Shed Open Doors Week, giving communities the chance to visit participating Sheds, meet local Shedders, and see first-hand the positive difference Men's Sheds make to men's lives.

If you've ever been curious about your local Shed, this is the perfect opportunity to step through the door and discover what it's all about. Find a participating Shed and learn more about Shed Open Doors Week at https://scottishmsa.org.uk/opendoors

And, even if your local Shed is not participating this year, don't worry – you can still find your nearest Shed, check their opening times, and pop in to say hello at a time convenient to you - https://scottishmsa.org.uk/find-a-shed

11/06/2026

It was a pleasure to attend the Kirkmuirhill and Blackwood Men's Shed open day in their new premises on Sunday. The place was absolutely buzzing when Stewart Beck (SMSA Development Officer) arrived, with more than 100 people packed into the former public house on Main Street, Kirkmuirhill.

It was fantastic to see such strong community support, with people of all ages coming along to celebrate this milestone. We have to say, the building is looking superb. The Shed’s oldest member, Charlie Johnston, performed the official opening ceremony and paid tribute to the commitment and dedication of the Shedders, who have spent hundreds of hours transforming this century-old building.

Their hard work, skill and determination have created something truly special for the community, and we are sure the building will still be serving local people for another hundred years. Very well done to everyone involved. This is an outstanding achievement and an absolute credit to you all. 👍

11/06/2026

SMSA Development Officer Ross Murray visited Badenoch Men's Shed. Although without a shed at the moment, they have the use of Kingussie High School's techie department. They are working in partnership IRL (In Real Life) Education with some pupils building Coracles. This is a craft, heritage and traditional skills project with the men’s shed and young people working collaboratively, sharing skills.

Pupils, Ashton, Chloe and Douglas were enthusiastically grappling with a coracle frame. Ashton says, “It’s great to build things with our hands and gain skills. Our generation usually just buy things from Amazon. The men and us both get a lot out of this.” The men have also brought some old lathes back to life and have been upskilling teachers.

The Shedders have been making swift and hedgehog boxes for the Cairngorm National Park green initiative. A park ranger will take the pupils on a field trip to locate the hedgehog boxes. The Shedders also meet fortnightly on Saturdays at the Clan Macpherson Museum in Newtonmore and fortnightly on Wednesdays at the Iona Gallery, Kingussie 👍