Article: We're doing Merch differently.
We're doing Merch differently.
At Silver Fox Tools we are proud to be partnering up with our local Scottish Men's Shed Association here in Nairn.
Men don't find it easy to talk. However, give them a hammer and something to build and you'll find something incredible happens. Men's Shed is a global charity that provides a space for men to get together and find community while doing practical things together. We all want to feel useful and in retirement this can be a real struggle and can effect both physical and mental health. Which is why Men's shed has such a profound impact.
Dave recently visited our local Men's Shed and met with so many talented blokes, one of which was a 95 year old blacksmith with so many stories to tell. At Silver Fox Tools we talk loads about our love vintage tools but this was an eye opener to talk with the craftsmen that used them back in the day.
We love what they do so much we've decided to give all the profits from our merch sales directly to them. It's not just virtue signalling or a flavour of the month. It's something we deeply care about and believe we can help them make a difference.
Silver Fox Tools is a band of bothers. Whether that be in our EDC workshop, here in Scotland, or globally with all the great folks we ship our products out to. It's great to know together we support a life changing charity like the Scottish Men's Shed Association.
Some amazing stats about Men's Sheds:
96% felt less lonely
89% were not as depressed
75% had decreased anxiety
97% made more friends
88% felt more connected to the community
39%* of Sheds believe they have saved a life *(25% of Sheds reported that they believe they have saved a life and a further 14% believed they may have saved a life)
UK MEN’S SHEDS ASSOCIATION – OVERVIEW
The UKMSA is a registered charity that supports Sheds, Shedders (the people who attend the Sheds), their supporters and the communities the Sheds serve across the UK to benefit health and wellbeing nationally. There are over 1,100 Men’s Sheds across the UK. UKMSA was 10 years old in 2023 with eight staff equating to 5 full-time staff, 35 volunteer Shed Ambassadors plus hundreds of Shed Leaders and Supervisors. There were 30 Men’s Sheds in the UK in 2013. UKMSA have the ambition to see the number of Sheds grow to 2,400 over the next eight years.
Men’s Sheds are community-based, non-commercial organisations. Sheds are generally autonomous groups and self-determine their direction under common characteristics of Connecting, Creating and Conversing.
Physically Sheds are generally not in Sheds, they occupy community centres, industrial units, Church halls, etc. Some Sheds have been developed in partnership with charities such as RVS, Mind or Age UK, etc, others directly with UKMSA, Men’s Sheds Scotland or Local Authorities. Many Men’s Sheds have women members.
Activities in Sheds vary greatly, but you can usually find woodworking, metalworking, repairing and restoring, electronics, model buildings or even car building in a typical Shed. Sheds typically attract older men, but many have younger members and women too. Whatever the activity, the essence of a Shed is not a building, but the connections and relationships between its members.
