The region’s Men’s Sheds are to benefit from a funding reprieve after the Scottish Government announced it would restore previously pulled support for this year.
The future of groups such as Forth Valley Men’s Shed - which supports around 50 to 60 members from across the area on a regular basis - had been cast in doubt after a £75,000 funding allocation to the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association was set to be cut from April.
It was a move criticised as “short-sighted” and “appalling” at the time by Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Alexander Stewart, one of a number of MSPs who wrote to Deputy First Minister John Swinney calling for a rethink.
After weeks of uncertainty, the Scottish Government’s minister for public finance, planning, and community wealth, Tom Arthur, wrote back to Mr Stewart this week confirming an offer for the £75,000 to the SMSA was made on January 18.
Speaking to the Observer in January, the shed’s chairman Kenny Quinn said the Alloa-based organisation provided a vital companion to traditional health services and said the support provided by the SMSA was crucial to their success.
Mr Quinn said: “The ironic thing about losing the funding is that the SMSA is losing the support because they say it is going into the NHS but we are providing that service to people.
“The big thing for us is male suicide, the numbers are tilted back in favour of being more positive for the age groups that we deal with but it’s still a huge problem.
“The SMSA is the guiding light to Men’s Sheds – two guys can have an idea to have a shed and they tell you how to do it and very quickly that network can build itself into a shed.”
In his letter, Mr Arthur says the cash will allow the SMSA time to “develop a more sustainable business model” and “seek alternative sources of funding”.
One of those sources includes the new Social Loneliness and Isolation Fund, which Mr Arthur confirmed the SMSA would be eligible to apply to.
In response to the news, Conservative MSP Mr Stewart welcomed what he described as a “U-turn” by ministers.
Mr Stewart said: “I am delighted that the Scottish Government has seen fit to do a u turn and are ensuring that funding is going to be available for 2023/24.
“There has also been a guarantee from the Minister that there will also be a funding stream made available from the Scottish Government in the form of the new Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund (SIAL) which will be opening for applicants in the next few weeks.
“It is good that the Scottish Government has acknowledged that their previous stance was short-sighted.
“I once again, pay tribute to the Men’s Sheds Associations which is a fantastic initiative with positive effects regarding health and wellbeing which I had the opportunity to see first-hand during my recent visits.”
