Cross-party group of MSPs call for men’s shed funding backtrack

MSPs from across the political spectrum have called on the Scottish Government to reverse a funding cut to men’s sheds.

A group of 40 MSPs – including some from the SNP – joined with the Scottish Men’s Shed Association (SMSA) in a plea to Deputy First Minister John Swinney.

They have written to the minister to urge him to reverse the funding cut, after a final £75,000 payment was made to the SMSA for the facilities.

More than 200 men’s sheds exist across all 32 Scottish local authorities, and the facilities aim to help teach men new skills and reduce social isolation.

In the letter, which was signed by SNP MSPs Kenneth Gibson, Audrey Nicoll and Paul McLennan, the group said the cut “poses a serious risk to the sustainability and future development of men’s sheds across Scotland”.

They added: “While we appreciate the pressures on the Scottish Government’s budget overall, we are asking you to revisit the present core and developmental funding for the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association so that they can continue to build upon the needed requirements of the Scottish men’s sheds health movement for the people of Scotland, rather than putting unsupported pressure on these thousands of volunteers and see a collapse of this national treasure that they have worked so diligently and passionately to create.”

In a joint statement, Mr Gibson, along with Conservative Alexander Burnett, Labour’s Alex Rowley and Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur, said: “MSPs across the political spectrum recognise the value and importance of what sheds deliver in their constituencies and regions.

“Hopefully, this cross-party message of support for SMSA will prompt the Scottish Government to rethink its proposed cut and continue providing the modest level of funding that helps do so much good in communities the length and breadth of Scotland.”

SMSA chief executive Jason Schroeder said the men’s shed movement in Scotland had only reached 40% of its potential and he asked for three-year discretionary funding to continue its expansion.

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “The Scottish Government funding for men’s sheds has helped the movement to grow from five men’s sheds in 2013 to more than 200 sheds today, with more than 3,000 members.

“The £75,000 provided by Scottish Government this financial year will help the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association build further success as they continue to develop their business model and new funding partners come on board.”