Men's Shed

Wed, Sep 1st 2021 at 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Henry Paul

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The weekly talk was given by Club member Henry Paul, who set up and continues to run the St Andrews Men’s Shed, located at the Botanic Garden. Women seem to find it easier to develop friendships outwith the workplace, with the result that men often feel isolated and lonely on retirement. The Men’s Shed is a place where companionship can develop in the context of a shared, practical task with a useful outcome. Men’s Sheds began in Australia in the 1980s and there are now 136 in Scotland with still more on the way. Three ladies - Jill Anderson, Cath Carter and Mel McGill - proposed that St Andrews should have one and Henry acted upon their suggestion. Built from portable containers, clad in wood and fitted out by the members themselves, the Shed opened in November 2017. Projects have included a kitchen for a special needs school and planters at Leuchars Station, as well as many in collaboration with the local Clean and Green Team. Wood is the most frequent raw material, for which used pallets and temporary structures at the Dunhill have been important sources of supply. Members come from many different walks of life, most with a practical bent. The Botanic Garden is an excellent location geographically but Henry is actively seeking larger premises to facilitate more diversified working. Fund-raising has been relatively easy hitherto but would be more of a challenge if the bigger home can be found. Henry’s presentation was characteristically witty, emphasising how much fun he and the other members have at the Shed, but it was clear that this is only possible because of the huge amount of time and effort that he has given to it, as acknowledged by Alan MacDonald in his vote of thanks.