A new opportunity for friendship, community, and creativity is coming to Cruden Bay with the launch of the Cruden Bay Men’s Shed.

Men’s Sheds have grown in popularity across Scotland and beyond, offering spaces where people can meet, share skills, and work on practical projects in a friendly and welcoming environment. They provide a place not only to learn and create, but also to chat, support one another, and strengthen community ties.

The Cruden Bay Men’s Shed is in its early stages, and we are looking for locals (Both Men and Women) to shape what it will become. Whether you’re keen on woodwork, DIY, gardening, crafts, or simply looking for good company, your ideas and input will help set the direction of the Shed.

If you are interested in getting involved, either drop us an email including your name, mobile phone number, and email addresss, or fill in the same details in the Registration Form below, and we will get you added to the WhatsApp Group (if applicable), and keep you updated with developments and future meeting details.

Our email address is: crudenmensshed@yahoo.com

CRUDEN BAY MEN’S SHED

Things are very much on the move! The trench for the new electrical cable has been dug, many thanks to Andy Phipps, Geordie Anderson and CHAP Civils for their help with this. The electrician is booked for the end of this week (28th) to make the connection so after this weekend we’ll be able to get in and set up the inside and then we’re off! We’ll need to have a meeting to discuss practicalities such as access, but will keep everyone posted as to time/place.

CRUDEN BAY MEN’S SHED

Just a quick update on what’s been happening over the winter. Much time was spent sourcing funding for the installation of mains electricity to the Shed. Funds are now in place and the cable/associated fuse box etc have been bought. Quotes from electricians are underway so it shouldn’t be long before we can start to use the Shed. Generous donations of tools and racking have also been received. An update meeting was held a few weeks ago with those who could manage, but keep an eye out for details of next meeting when we can hopefully finalise an entry date.
Almost there!

We met this evening at Port Erroll Public Hall to discuss ongoing plans for setting up the Cruden Bay Men’s Shed. We’re pleased to report that we are well advanced in the process of gaining charitable status. This will allow us to open a bank account and formally launch the Men’s Shed.

In the meantime, there are several ways we can continue to move things forward. First, we are looking to confirm a committee. We still need volunteers for the roles of Chairperson and Treasurer. Lewis Gardiner has kindly volunteered to take on the role of Secretary, so we are now seeking two further volunteers for the remaining positions. If you are interested, please email crudenmensshed@yahoo.com.

We also discussed creating a skills register, where members can list their skills and experience. This will help us better understand what we can achieve collectively as a Men’s Shed.

Following on from this, Port Erroll Public Hall has asked whether our members would be willing to help with some general maintenance work. This would involve carrying out certain repairs that might otherwise incur costs the hall is currently unable to meet. By helping out, we can improve the condition of the hall while allowing it to retain vital funds for other ongoing expenses. This proposal was fully supported, and it was agreed that the Hall Committee Chairperson, Peter Abenheimer, will draw up a wish list of jobs to share with the group.

It was also proposed that the skills register and job lists be made available to members via a secure webpage on the CrudenBay.life website. Once this is set up and password-protected, we will share the details with you.

We also discussed the wood cladding of the two cabins at the rear of the Congregational Church, which will become the Men’s Shed workshop and storage space. Several members expressed interest in helping with this project. We agreed that the Men’s Shed WhatsApp group will be a good way to coordinate this and future activities, possibly using sub-groups to reduce unnecessary messages for the wider group.

Our next meeting will most likely be held on site at the Congregational Church / Men’s Shed location. We’ll confirm details nearer the time via our usual channels.