From Tim Green at Age Scotland:

“At Age Scotland our teams are working from home staffing the Age Scotland helpline through a virtual call centre. The helpline, 0800 12 44 222, provides advice, information and friendship for the over 50s. Please pass on the number to anyone who might be able to make use of it.”

Thank you, Tim.

Just as we got the Shed up and running, so we were required to stay at home to help everyone through these strange times. So be it.

The Banchory Men’s Shed may not be meeting in person, but like almost everyone these days we are taking advantage of video conferencing.  We have replaced our Tuesday real-life meetings with a Zoom meeting at the same time, Tuesday mornings, 10:30-12:00.

If you want to join in, even if you are not yet a member and are thinking of joining, please contact banchorymensshed@gmail.com or membership.bms@gmail.com so we can e-mail you the meeting link and we look forward to seeing you.

After 5 years of hard work and ultimately success, we regret to have to publish the following announcement from our Chairman:

Dear Members and Supporters of Banchory and District Men’s Shed,

Following the cancellation because of the Coronavirus precautions of the Aberdeenshire Wellbeing Festival with which it was timed to coincide, we regret to announce that the Banchory and District Men’s Shed’s Opening Ceremony on 19 May is also cancelled.

The Men’s Shed is closed for weekly meetings and all other activities until further notice.

Thank you for all your support during our long journey towards completion of our premises at Legion Scotland.  We look forward to welcoming you there when the emergency is over.

Yours sincerely,

Paul Evans

We are delighted to have received the following message from Alistair Black:

Banchory Men’s Shed

It is a pleasure and delight to now see the Banchory Men’s Shed open for business at Legion Scotland’s Banchory Branch and Club building, at Ramsay Road, Banchory.  The organisers have endured a long hard struggle to finally reach this point and they deserve a huge accolade for what they have achieved.  It is also the culmination of an idea mooted back in late 2015 and as covered in the Legion Scotland Today magazine.

I am delighted for two reasons.  Firstly, the area they now occupy needed to be used constructively, usefully and in sympathy with the building.  But secondly and more importantly, the values of the Men’s Shed movement mirror those of the Legion, that is, to provide facilities where men young and old can go and enjoy social connections, build friendships, share skills and knowledge, and of course create a lot of laughter.

The Legion works along the same lines as the Men’s Shed in that we are responsible for enhancing the wellbeing and comradeship of our members.  Similarly, where the Legion can, we will get involved in community projects even though we are more geared to the serving the ex-service community.

The Banchory Men’s Shed is always looking to boost their membership and they are very much hoping that as well as civilian members they will attract ex-service personnel.  So if as an ex-serviceman you feel you can help, or feel you need help, or you would just like to converse with like-minded people, then go along and see what it is all about.  It costs nothing and could quite easily be a life changing experience for some of you.

Alistair Black

Legion Scotland Branch/Club Chairman

A few pictures, whilst everyone was out doing something else