Men's Shed

Men's Sheds are worldwide movement, not just Dornoch!

Have a look at the Scottish Men's Shed Association website to find out more: www.scottishmsa.org.uk

Did you know?

People involved in community Men's Sheds report living healthier, happier and more connected lives.

You can repair and make things, or just drop in for a cuppa and a blether. Sheds are informal, you will find people having a laugh and working on various projects in between frequent tea breaks. 

You can use the workshops or just chat, read the paper and play cards. There are no set activities unless a class is advertised, so people may be working on different projects. 

Woodwork, model engineering, playing cards and darts are all popular in Men’s Sheds.  

Men’s Sheds are community run workshops  with a social area. Theys are particularly popular with people who may be retired or out of work but everyone over 18 is welcome. Ours, like most, is based in a workshop. 

Our Men’s Shed is a place to: 

Work and relax 

Pursue Hobbies and pastimes 

Share skills 

Have a cuppa and a blether 

Get out of the house for a while

Get practical help with your projects

Improve your health wellbeing  

A Men’s Shed is a place where someone with time on their hands can go to make things, use tools, relax and make friends. Men’s Sheds are designed to appeal to people in ways which traditional 'community groups' may not. Men generally like to get involved in practical tasks and get to know people by working alongside them, rather than sitting down face to face and this is where it all started. Men’s Sheds feel familiar and welcoming and usually have a social area and workshop area. Ideally, they will also have a kitchen where food preparation and cooking and can be learnt.

Men's Sheds are not just for people who like DIY and woodwork. There is usually space to try arts & craft activities as well as board games, computing, cooking and reading. An important ethos in in the movement is that participants pursue their own interests and choose what they want to do. Self-directed activity is more satisfying and fun and many older people are keen to use their life-learned skills & experience ~ they may find retirement boring or miss the banter of the workplace. Men in particular tend to rely heavily on their job for social contact and when this ends, they miss their old friendships, but have few opportunities to make new connections. Older men have a wealth of experience, stories and knowledge to share and the sheds provide a place for this to happen. Younger men benefit from the chance to be shown new skills as well as exchanging their own knowledge. 

Many people imagine that Men’s Sheds are all based in wooden huts. However they take place in a variety of settings; industrial units, community centres, Portakabins, shop units and shipping containers.

On a deeper level, Men’s Sheds provide acceptance, a sense of purpose, increased well being and improved mental health.