A new board member has been appointed by The Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA) which is the national support hub in Scotland.
The new appointee is Francis Edwards who has worked in health, particularly palliative care, for 30 years and who will also represent Sheds on the islands. And SMSA is looking for more board members in Edinburgh.
Francis Edwards, who is a member of the Sanday Men’s Sheds in Orkney, will be the seventh member of the board. He said: “I am delighted to be welcomed as an SMSA Trustee and further represent the Scottish Men’s Sheds movement in Orkney.
“When I retired here to live the dream of island life, I joined Sanday Men’s Shed mainly for the fellowship but also to pick up a few DIY skills. In my early days of nursing, I was involved in setting up a ‘Well Men’s Clinic’ and, as a recent convert to the Men Shed Movement, feel that my background is a good fit with the SMSA’s values and mission.”
SMSA Chairman David Gardner said: “We are delighted to have Francis, and his wealth of skills and experience, on board and I am confident that he will be an invaluable asset to the Scottish Men’s Sheds Movement and the national hub that supports it. This appointment will allow us to support even more members – inevitably, reaching more men across the nation with the aim to raise awareness of Men’s Sheds, combat social isolation and loneliness and improve men’s health and wellbeing.”
SMSA Chief Executive Officer Jason Schroeder added: “As a membership organisation, all of our Trustees are Scottish Shedders that know the Men’s Shed model and its benefits inside out. They strive to ensure that the charity is effective, robust and financially capable of supporting the needs of our 3,200+ Individual Members and Shed Members across Scotland and develop strategies to further grow and support this thriving men’s health Movement.
“We are appealing for additional enthusiastic, dedicated and visionary Shedders to join our board to extend our regional representation even further. We are particularly keen to hear from individuals in the East and West Highlands, Edinburgh and Angus. The time commitment involved is quarterly Board meetings and an informal catch-up with Trustees. Expenses are reimbursed for visits to Sheds and representation at events. If this sounds like you, please do get in touch.”
The sole focus of the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA) is to inspire and support men over the age of 18 with time on their hands to become engaged, in a healthy way, by voluntarily creating their own Men’s Sheds in their local communities across Scotland. The Association provides practical help, information and advice for Shedders throughout their journey from the initial seed of an idea to the running of a successful and sustainable Men’s Shed.
The Association enables information sharing, communication and co-operation amongst Men’s Sheds in Scotland through The Scottish Shedder magazine, an interactive website, social media channels and community-based events and workshops. It is free to become an Individual Member of the SMSA and receive regular information updates and access to its online resource library and full Men’s Shed membership (with various benefits and discounts included) is only £25 per year.
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