Local MSP Finlay Carson has praised the worked of the Mens Shed in Dalbeattie following a recent visit to the facility.
Mr Carson met with some of the gentlemen who regularly meet at the shed and spent time chatting with them about how the group started, the kind of projects they work on and what they enjoy most about attending the group.
The visit also provided the MSP with the opportunity to personally congratulate the group on their successful application to The Asda Foundation for funding to help with the setting up of their metal workshop.
Mens Sheds provide space for their members to meet, share tools and resources to work on projects of their own choosing and are places of leisure and social interaction where men come together to work.
Activities usually involve making or mending in wood, metalwork, renovation projects and sometimes gardening.
After his visit, Mr Carson said:
“The Dalbeattie Mens Shed is a fantastic initiative and I welcomed the chance to go and meet some of the regular attendees who told me more about their group.
“While there, the men are able to use the tools and equipment to work on their own individual projects at the same time as chatting away and catching up with each other.
“Mens Sheds are a great way to reduce social isolation and give people in rural communities in areas like Galloway and West Dumfries the opportunity to do something they enjoy, meet new people and give them something to look forward to.
“More generally, they have been shown to increase the quality of life and self-worth of men with dementia and there is increasing evidence that this type of social engagement can potentially slow down the progression of dementia.
“I wish the Dalbeattie Mens Shed every success and look forward to hearing about similar organisations being established across the region in the future”.
