That the Parliament recognises the role of the Men’s Sheds Movement in encouraging health and wellbeing; understands that since 2013, Men’s Sheds have provided the opportunity to learn new skills through a variety of activities and offers a social, safe and welcoming space to meet people and find information on local projects within the community, including those in the West of Scotland; notes with regret the impact of COVID-19 on the Men’s Sheds Movement, which has led to the temporary closure of all Men’s Sheds in keeping with lockdown restrictions, amid a sharp increase in the number of people experiencing feelings of loneliness and social isolation; appreciates that despite the challenges this has presented, the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association has continued its work to assist and support men’s shedders to forge social connections virtually and in April 2020 welcomed Sir Harry Burns as its new patron to promote and represent the movement; welcomes the £30,000 funding from the Scottish Government to help those Sheds whose fundraising has been most severely affected by the pandemic, and notes calls for all MSPs to share in celebrating the work of Scottish Men’s Sheds and to continue to protect its place in communities through this pandemic and for many years to come.
