MSP warns of uncertainty over funding for Scottish Men's Shed Association
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Uncertainty looms for the future of Men’s Shed organisations across the north-east and Scotland it has been warned.
Scottish Government funding ended at the beginning of the financial year in April for the Scottish Men's Shed Association, after a sum of £75,000 was agreed between three Scottish Ministers and the charity last year.
North East MSP Douglas Lumsden asked Ministers for details on where funding would come from between next year and the end of this parliament.
But the response received left the Scottish Conservative politician “fearing the worst” for the Aberdeenshire-based charity.
Minister Tom Arthur said the money will “help them build a sustainable business model and develop a future fundraising strategy for 2024/25 onwards, that can attract a wider range of funders independent of Scottish Government support.”
Mr Lumsden said: “It’s an absolute open goal for the SNP government to fund this.
“The social benefit of Men’s Sheds far, far outweighs the costs.
“It saves money to be spent elsewhere in things like social care and the NHS, council spending and the like.
“Isolation is a big threat for some people who might find it hard to socialise as they get older. There’s a lot of skills getting passed along which otherwise may be lost.
“So I’m fearing the worst for both the charity and the people it helps directly, as well as the essential services it supports.”
Banchory-based Scottish Men’s Sheds Association launched a petition to the Scottish Government to continue funding this year.
One example of a very successful and widely admired Men’s Shed set-up is Westhill and District Men’s Shed.
It welcomes more than 300 members, was voted Scottish Men’s Shed of the Year in 2021 and received a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service during the pandemic.
According to the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association, there are 127 established men’s sheds in Scotland, 3000 individual members and a pre-Covid engagement figure of around 10,000.
The Scottish Men’s Sheds Association is the largest and fastest growing member-led men’s health charity in Scotland.
