05/07/2024
SMSA Development Officer Stewart Beck visited Dumfries Men Shed!
The Shed has a 60-strong membership with new members being recruited continuously.
Stewart was invited to attend their committee meeting and found out about some exciting plans for building alterations, including knocking through an adjoining wall to enlarge the size of the café/social area. It is clear that the social area is extremely important where Shedders can share stories, plans and banter.
They also have plans to convert three small upstairs rooms into one larger area to accommodate/enable new initiatives to take place including mug printing, 3D printing, arts and crafts and music.
The Shed has a number of accomplished and aspiring musicians and have lots of donated guitars and one large double bass in beautiful condition, just waiting for someone to make use of. Aldo Marletta (Shed Chair) outlined how some local pub musicians are playing to raise funds for the Shed.
The Shed is passionate about tackling loneliness and social isolation and providing a lifeline for Shedders with additional support needs. An accessible lift is in-situ to enable use of upstairs spaces, resulting in improved mental health outcomes and relationships, which is very rewarding.
Head to the Shed! Find your local Shed on the SMSA website at https://scottishmsa.org.uk/find-a-shed
