Charity backs call to put older men in sheds

A national conference today aims to kick start the spread of Mens' Sheds across Scotland.
Mens' Sheds are places where older men can spend time together fixing, building, and making things. The idea originated in Australia, following concerns that many older men were at risk of loneliness and isolation and needed social opportunities geared to their interests, and that they could feel comfortable in.
The conference, which takes place in Westhill Aberdeenshire, and is hosted by Age Scotland and Garioch Community Planning Group, includes a visit to Scotland's first Mens' Shed at Westhill, which opened in February this year. By bringing together academics, policy makers and third sector representatives, it aims to establish better understanding of needs of older men and how services can be designed to meet them, including through the Mens' Shed model.
Age Scotland's Chief Executive Brian Sloan said: "In Australia there are now more than 600 Mens' Sheds, and if it can work there then it can work here. There is so much potential and diversity in Mens' Sheds; some offer cookery lessons specifically for men living alone, others run projects that benefit the community, or help people overseas by for examples fixing tools for use in Africa. We're particularly excited by the scope for intergenerational work based at Mens' Sheds."