Carse of Gowrie Men’s Shed is celebrating after receiving a community grant of £500 from Scotmid Co-operative to put towards new equipment.
The Carse-based group have used the funding to purchase 2 sets of wood-turning lathe tools and 2 lathe chucks.
Derek Keiller, Secretary of the Men’s Shed, said: “Woodturning is a very popular pastime with our members and thanks to the generosity of Scotmid with the grant of £500, we were able to purchase more tools.
“Men’s Sheds are acknowledged as providing many benefits, for the men who attend them and also for their families, friends and the communities in which they are situated and it is due to the generosity from companies such as Scotmid that they are starting to gain a foothold in this country.”
Richard McCready, Vice-Chair of the Scotmid Co-operative’s North Regional Committee, said: “We are delighted to support this project which offers men in the community a relaxed environment to come together to support each other while acquiring new skills or developing existing ones.”
Scotmid donates around a quarter of a million pounds to local causes through its community grant scheme each year. Applications are encouraged for projects that support; children and education, active lifestyles, the environment, health promotion, the elderly, social inclusion, Fairtrade, arts and culture, and charity.
The Men’s Shed concept started in Australia to bring together groups of like-minded men to share skills, learn new skills and help themselves and older people in the local community. The group provides technical and social expertise to develop a safe and happy environment where men are welcome to work on a project of their choice in their own time.
It caters for men of all ages and cultures and supports the social, emotional, physiological and physical well-being of men.
The Carse of Gowrie Men’s Shed project began in 2013 with the support of Perth and Kinross Healthy Communities Collaborative, a joint initiative between NHS Tayside and Perth & Kinross Council.
For more information on the Men’s Shed, visit www.carseofgowriemensshed.webs.com.