Organisation aims to extend its reach

A cash boost means a national charity can extend support across Scotland.

The Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA) secured £20,000 from the Bank of Scotland Foundation’s Reach programme enabling it to retain a development officer.

The charity boasts more than 3,400 individual members, 148 Men’s Shed group members and estimates that the movement engages over 10,000 people across Scotland.

Founded in 2014, SMSA exists to inspire and empower men over the age of 18 with time on their hands to become voluntary engaged in their communities through creating and/or attending their own Men’s Sheds to mitigate social isolation, loneliness and boredom.

SMSA CEO Jason Schroeder said: “We are absolutely delighted to have secured funding to continue providing one-to-one localised support to Scottish Men’s Sheds on their journey to sustainability and help create new sheds in communities where there is identified need, disadvantage and social exclusion.

“Due to our prior trial success of having a development officer on the ground meeting face-to-face with Men’s Sheds in a post-COVID world, this grant will enable us to further this work and extend our reach across Scotland to empower men to engage with sheds as part of an active and healthy pathway.

“This grant contributes towards a fully-funded and permanent dedicated SMSA development officer post for the next year and is vital to our work and achieving our outcomes.”

Donald MacKechnie, Chair of Lloyds Foundation’s board, said, “The cost-of-living crisis means many charities are struggling with increasing expenditure, at a time when the demand for their services is as great as ever.

“Our grant awards will help charities through the challenging months ahead.”