NEWSLETTERS

2020
August 2020 Newsletter


I hope all you Shedders out there are doing well and keeping in good spirits in this the most unusual and difficult of times. It’s hard to believe we have been in lock down all this time and I am sure you must be missing the Shed, sharing the ‘crack’ over a cup of tea with Stan’s hearty breakfast.


Face Visors
Although we have been shut down we can proudly say we did our bit during the crisis. With the team of guys and some of their wives and families we supplied around 4500 face visors to front line workers, carers, shop workers and those returning to work.
It is fair to say when Jim Forbes first came up with the idea of making face visors to help prevent the spread of the Covid virus we were laughed at as silly old men, over reacting with some daft idea as Jim and I tried to get the local supermarkets, health staff, meal providers to accept our offer of free face visors to protect their staff and the public. And yet in the space of two weeks we had to set up a production team as the demand out stretched supply. It was a huge learning curve as we struggled to meet the huge demand which was initially from workers in the NHS and Care Homes who had no face visors. We were offering two types of visors, 3D printed and hand made visors. Jim had his own 3D printer but it could not cope with the demand as it took several hours to make one. So we set up a Go Fund page to raise money to buy another two 3D printers and materials (plastic sheets, elastic, etc..). Meanwhile Robert Mitchell, Dave Gibson, Sam and Gus McQueer, Stewart Lang, Graham Proudfoot, Alan Tennant, Tim Powers, Glen Douglas and Mathew Kilday along with members of their families volunteered to help out making, assembling and distributing the visors. Alan Tennant managed to get folks from his village in Drum to manufacture the visors on a huge scale. Les Sutherland from P&K Culture also helped out by working on seven 3D printers to help us keep up with the demand. At our peak we produced 1000 visors in one week. A truly magnificent effort by everyone. Thank you one and all and forgive me if I have missed your name out.


In recognition of this fantastic achievement the KDMS visor team received a letter from Stephen Leckie, as Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for Perth & Kinross, expressing sincere appreciation to the Shedders for their work in the community in the present crisis. We also received a mention by the STV News as well as national and local newspapers for the contribution the Shedders did for Front Line workers.


The folks from the Kinross and District area were fantastic in their support, offering materials and donations. To date they have contributed approximately £5000 which has covered all our expenses. We will be donating two 3D printers to the local schools.


We have now stopped production and are running our stock down and these are available for the likes of people returning to work. We will also keep visors for use by our members when the Shed reopens in our new premises at Swansacre in the near future.


15 Swansacre, Kinross
This brings me to the next piece of good news. Tom, Sandy and myself have signed the documents approving our loan from the Arthur and Margaret Thomson Trust to assist KDMS in the purchase of Swansacre. Hopefully the title deeds should be completed with Perth College in the next 7 to 10 days and we will be the proud owners of 15 Swansacre, Kinross the home of KDMS.


It has been a long and difficult journey to get us here. We have encountered many difficulties and hurdles (false rumors, objections, survey problems, corona virus shutdown) but it all has been worth while to get this fantastic building for KDMS. We will have a building which will be warm and comfortable, bright, inviting and a place where we can fulfill our mission to have a building where the men of Kinross and district can come together to share ideas, chat and enjoy each others company as well as being a place to create and build. We have received funding from CIF (Perth & Kinross and NHS) to help us equip the building with the appropriate equipment we will need to make the building suitable for everyone using the building. This includes H & S equipment, dust extraction, tools and machinery, seating and tables as well as any equipment for disabled users.
I would greatly appreciate any ideas and suggestions for equipment as well as the layout of workshops, function room, kitchen and the other rooms. For example perhaps Jack, John and Dougie would like to meet up when we get the keys for their thoughts on how the woodwork workshop should be set out.


Volunteers


When it is safe for us to start meeting again it will have to be controlled. Unfortunately because the vast majority of our members are in the high risk group in relation to Covid 19 we will have to meet under strict guidelines.


1. When we meet it will have to be with a limited number of men allowed in the building at any one time.
2. Toilets will have to be cleaned regularly during the day.
3. Hand Sanitation stations set up.
4. Social distancing adhered to.
5. Face visors and or masks worn at all times.


These are only a few of the restrictions which we will have to implement in order for us to be able to open the building to our members.




SHED SUPERVISORS


Most importantly we will need supervisors to oversee these guidelines. We will need a booking system set up to regulate when a shedder attends as there will need to be a limit to how many men can be in the building at any time. Obviously the more we are open the more often you can attend. Therefore we need a number of supervisors who can open up the building and oversee that everything is done properly. Ideally, I am sure you will agree our SHED should be open most days but that can only be done if we have a team of supervisors to open the SHED up.


Removal teams


To help with the removal of our equipment from Forth Wines to Swansacre we will also need volunteers for:-
1. Car plus trailers and vans to move the equipment.
2. A team to help load the equipment into the vehicles at Forth Wines
3. A team to unload the equipment into Swawnsacre.
4. Two or three walls require painting.
5. The kitchen units will need to be fitted into the workshop areas for storage.




KITCHEN


As we will be open more often, the kitchen is going to be open more as well. We can’t expect Stan to man the kitchen all the time so again if you would like to help out it would be greatly appreciated. There will be short 2 to 3 hour courses available to help out with H&S and food hygiene for those wishing to develop their culinary skills.


As we find our feet there will be many opportunities for those who wish to help out in the running of our Shed. The more men involved in the running of our Shed the better.


Your Shed
We are moving into a fantastic building which will meet all our needs. We will have a Shed where not only can you attend but it will be your Shed, you will own it! The Shed will be your place. You will have a say on what goes on in it. If you want to see a modeling or a gardening group started for example, then there are no excuses as to why it can’t happen. You will no longer be restricted by the cold and dampness which hindered many activities like before. Our Shed will be open all year, it will be warm, bright, fully equipped and a place you will be proud to be a part of. The opportunities are limitless, we will have one of the best Shed buildings in Scotland and a wonderful opportunity to do great and wonderful things in the future. The only thing that can hold us back is ourselves, and I don’t believe that can happen when I look at the great bunch of Shredders we have in our SHED. I believe every single man in our Shed has something to offer. This could be simply by chatting to others or sharing the skills you have. By doing this, you will find you will not only increase the quality of your own life but of those around you.


Since becoming Chairman I have traveled on a very interesting journey. To be honest I did not really know what to expect having never been on a committee never mind holding the post of chairman. However I have found the whole experience to be tremendously rewarding because I feel I am part of something that has a real purpose and direction. The reason I say this is regardless of how unqualified you may feel in the running of your Shed, you are qualified. The only real qualification you need is that you are a man. Only by getting in the water can you swim. I only managed to do what I am doing through the support of everyone of you. Therefore whatever capacity you volunteer, you will receive the full support of your colleagues to help you succeed in making our Shed a tremendous success for everyone.




AGM
You may have noticed our AGM date has passed because of COVID 19 but as soon as we can meet safely we will have our AGM. Meanwhile there is a vacancy for vice chairman and a Trustee member as Stewart resigned due to other business commitments. The post would involve assisting myself in the overseeing and running of KDMS business. If you have the enthusiasm and drive to help lead the Shed and its members forward please contact me on 07878091588.




Take care and keep safe


David Conner
Chairman

October 2020
​​October 2020 KDMS Newsletter


Avant Garde – Free High Tea
Steven McColl has kindly invited the members of KDMS to free Afternoon High Tea at the Avant Garde Cafe at 55 High Street in Kinross.
Isolation as you know has been a major problem at this time and Steven thought it might help to invite you to either go along to Avant Garde for afternoon tea or have it delivered to your home.
Ideally if would be great if you booked your tea along with another Shedder as it would be a wonderful opportunity to catch up and have a chat over a cup of tea.
Bookings are limited to a maximum of 2 per table due to the COVID restrictions.
Please phone 07766 596543 to book your High Tea

Activities and What’s On
Declan Jones has been in touch to offer his services and advice to help us at this difficult time as we are closed. So if you may be bored and are looking for something to do or participate in, such as
First Aid or Health and safety courses/ food hygiene course
Part of small teams for a walk with Declan
Learn how to use on Zoom on 1:1 basis
Please contact Declan Jones
Social Prescriber
South Locality Team
Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership
 '07557488902  declanjones@pkc.gov.uk

SWANSACRE
I have been informed by our solicitors that anytime now we expect to receive the keys of Swansacre. Sound familiar? Once we have the keys we will be able to prepare the building for moving in.
The plan is to paint some walls, install storage cupboards then fit out the workshops with tools and machinery. Due to the pandemic restrictions we will have to observe social distancing, masks, etc.. The social area will also be set out to accommodate the Shedders safely. When we are open we will operate a booking system so only a certain amount of members will be able to attend at any time and there will need to be a supervisor to oversee everything. (Until we get in and measure the areas for working and seating we don’t know what the maximum numbers will be at this time.)
I would love to see the Shed open every day so that you will be able to attend the Shed as often as you like but in order for that to happen we will need enough supervisors to cover the demand to open your Shed. At the moment we have only 4 or 5 men who have offered to help out but if we want the Shed to be open all day we had more volunteers.
I would also welcome your views as to how we can help one another at this time.
For example:-
Do you think a buddy system to support one another would be a good idea?
A Zoom Social – (Zoom Beer)
Activity suggestions / monthly meetings or activities to keep Shedders engaged.
Please feel free to email me with any suggestions on chairman.kdms@gmail.com

All the best and keep safe
David

December 2020

8th December 2020


Oor new SHED
At last I am delighted to announce that we have officially purchased our new Shed at Swansacre with the wonderful support of the Arthur Margaret Thomson Trust. We received the keys and have now moved into our new Shed at 15 Swansacre. A huge thank you to all the Shedders who helped by clearing out the Old Wine warehouse containing over 3 years of donations and equipment. It took Tom, Hugh, Andrew and Dave Munro along with many others over 2 months to finally clear the building.
As you can imagine not everything could fit into Swansacre so a lot was recycled, donated to other causes and what could not be used was dumped. So it is now a case of building and fitting storage units so we can unpack and find a place for all the equipment and tools we have kept. Already great progress has been made by Robert, John, George and others.
Swansacre will consist of a kitchen,
Toilet plus a disabled toilet.
A large social area for tea and coffee, and games ( cards, dominoes, darts and pool etc..)
An office for the treasurer, secretary and chairman with space for computing learning.
A small craft room ( 3D printer, glass cutting and photography, etc..)
A fully equipped metal workshop shared with a cycle repair workshop.
And a fully equipped woodwork workshop.
Swansacre has gas central heating!!! Sheer Luxury,,,

It has been a long time coming but it will be worth the wait. We are nearly there and I fully understand the reasons everyone wants to get back to the Shed asap. However, whilst Swansacre is going to be a better Shed for you to come to, we can only do this when it is safe to do so in every area within it. We need to adhere to the legalities and demands that COVID 19 brings as well as the relevant Health and Safety regulations that must be implemented before we can open legally and safely. The Trustees are working hard to make sure we meet all the requirements and standards asked of KDMS by the relevant authorities.
It is going to take a few weeks to get our new Shed in working order and I would ask you to be patient a wee bit longer. We will need volunteers to help with getting everything in its place. However can I ask that because of COVID restrictions that you don’t just turn up. If you want to help out, email me (chairman.kdms@gmail.com, so that we can control the number of guys in the building at anyone time.

COVID 19
It is safe to say that for the forseeable future COVID 19 restrictions and precautions must be enforced to protect everyone. This will include the wearing of face masks, hand sanitizing, social distancing and limited numbers in the building at any one time. If you are in the high risk group it would be better at this time if you did not volunteer, there will be ample opportunity to get involved at a later date when things are safer.
If you are available and can help out with various tasks within the building please either email me on chairman.kdms@gmail.com or phone me on 07878 09 1588 and together we can work towards the long awaited but welcome move to our Swansacre Shed.

All the best
David 
Chairman

2021 Newsletters


​
​June 2021 Shed Newsletter

Dear Shedders,
I hope this newsletter finds you all fit and well. It has been a long hard year what with COVID 19 and self isolation but we have survived and come out the other end.
At last we are now free to meet together to share stories, build projects but most importantly to help and encourage one another in the luxury of our new Shed.
We are now open on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday mornings from 10am to 12pm. A huge thank you to all the guys who volunteered to act as supervisors so that we could open safely within COVID guidelines. Without you the Shed could not open.

Shed Maintenance
There is still work needing done and we are looking for help with general maintenance, fitting out the Craft room and workshops, painting the storage container and inside the Shed itself. The outside walls need pointing and Duncan is willing to help and supervise this. So if you can help in any way or you fancy learning a new skill please speak to one of the supervisors.
When we have enough names we can organise work days for the above which could include a BBQ. Perhaps if there is enough interest we could have regular BBQ on most Saturdays for bacon rolls and hamburgers?

Shed Bikes
Many thanks to Tom for his dedication and huge effort with working on the bikes. Not only has he organised, with a few helpers, to maintain and service bikes, but they have also built a small fleet of electric bikes for use by the members.
So with the better weather here the Shed bikes and electric bikes are available for use by the members. All we ask from you is when you book a bike, sign a disclaimer, wear a helmet and return the bike as you found it. If you would like to borrow a bike please speak to Tom for advice.

Ideas & Suggestions
The Shed belongs to you the member. All members are invited to have their say in what activities they would like to see happen in the Shed. The craft room will be available for the likes of photography, stained glass craft, painting, computing etc. If there is a hobby or craft you would like to see in the Shed and be involved in we would welcome your ideas and suggestions. Either speak to a supervisor or drop an email with your comments to the kdms.secretary@outlook.com

At the moment the metal, bike, woodwork and craft workshops need to be completed and fitted out to the Health & Safety standards that are required by law. We would ask you to be patient as the work required for this takes time and it can only be done when volunteers are available to do the work.
The social area is available for you to sit with a cup of tea or coffee and have a chat, play pool or you could challenge Duncan to a game of Botcha.
We have had a SKY dish installed for watching major sport events like the Euros, Wimbeldon, Rugby, Olympics, cricket, etc..
We hope to have the Internet connected soon and this will be available to you for writing emails, Zoom, research, etc. If you are not familiar with the technology, lessons will be arranged to help you use computers and surf the internet.
Jim Forbes and Alan Tennant have designed and built a CNC machine that will cut out designs on plastic and wood. The designs can be templates or your own design. This is a fantastic piece of technology which they are willing to make available to the members to learn and use. If you would like to know more about CNC machines please contact Jim on forbeselectronics@btinternet.com

Tools and Equipment for Sale
There are tools and equipment as well as pine dining tables, bikes, a mobility scooter and a leather sofa for sale in the Shed. The members will have first option to purchase before they are sold to the public however it will be on a first come served basis as items need to be sold quickly to free up space in the Shed. So if you are interested please see Tim Power or Glen Neve before they are sold to the public.

Donations of equipment and furniture
Our building in Swansacre is a fantastic building offering tremendous facilities for our use. However one area we will always struggle with is storage space. We can no longer accept every item that is donated to the Shed.
Because we have little storage space in the Shed all donations of tools, equipment, furniture, electrical equipment, etc. to the Shed, while much appreciated, must firstly be discussed and approved before they can be accepted.
Please do not leave any objects lying about in the Shed especially in the corridors as they must be kept clear at all times as this could cause a fire hazard by blocking escape routes especially for wheel chair users.

Equipment Use
A register for borrowing tools should you need to borrow tools or a piece of equipment has been put in each workshop. If you borrow any tools or equipment please log the day you have borrowed, the type of tool you are borrowing, how long you wish to borrow it for and the day you expect to return the tool. This way we will know where the tools are at all times.
I am sure you will agree that it is frustrating when you spend a long time looking for a tool only to discover later that it has been borrowed. At the moment there are tools and equipment unaccounted for. If you have borrowed something and are finished with them can you please return them asap so they can be registered. For example there are 6 cycle helmets and 2 Dremel tool sets which are desperately needed at this time.
Book & DVD Library
In the social area there is a good collection of books and DVDs should you wish to borrow them. Please help yourself.
Kinross Markets & Farmer Shows
The trustees have decided that until the COVID restrictions are lifted we will not participate in the outdoor markets.

Walking Group
The Walking Group is still meeting every Wednesday at 1pm at the Shed and is led by Declan Jones. The group have enjoyed many good walks in and around Kinross. The walks are leisurely and last no more than an hour and are ideal for the fit and not so fit. Join in for some exercise and a chat and mobility scooter users are also invited to join in.

MacMillan Cancer Support
Graham Proudlock is doing a ‘Brave the Shave’ to raise funds for MacMillan Cancer Support on the 6th July. Macmillan Cancer Support are a really worthwhile charity who do a lot of fantastic work in supporting cancer victims in their own homes as well as other priceless work.
Graham has not had a haircut or shave for about 18 months and he is going to get it cut to the stubble for a wonderful cause. If you would like to sponsor Graham and this great cause please contact him on:
email grahamproudlock@icloud.com or mobile phone 07766 676927

EMAILS to Members
Unfortunately when the secretary was away on holiday there were a couple of emails sent to the membership and due to human error, all the e-mail addresses of the recipients of the e-mail were disclosed. This will have included your own e-mail address. KDMS sincerely apologise for this error and we need to ask you to delete that e-mail and confirm to us that you have done so by email to kdms.secretary@outlook.com
If in the future you would like a message to go out to the membership please send it via the secretary


First Aid Courses
We are looking to run a basic First Aid course for Supervisors. The cost of this course is quite high for each person to attend however if we could get someone to run the course in the Shed this might reduce the costs significantly. If you know someone who is qualified to teach First Aid and would be interested in running a course for us we could then open the course to any member who would like to attend.
If you know someone or you wish to attend a First Aid course please contact the secretary on kdms.secretary@outlook.com

KDMS Board of Trustees
At the last KDMS AGM new trustees were elected and the board of trustees now consist of the following:
David Conner – Chairman
Harry Clark – Vice Chairman
Sandy MacCalman – Secretary
Hugh MacPherson – Treasurer
Tom Wilson
Dave Munro
Hector Johnson
Dr. Alistair McCracken
Graham Proudfoot
George Ponton

Shed Supervisors:
Supervisor Operations
George Ponton - Health & Social Visits
Tom Wilson - Cycles & Van
Robert Mitchell & - Health & Safety in the Shed
Dave Sparling - Health & Safety in the Shed
Andrew Glebocki & - (Stores,Projects planning,Wood/Metal/Craft)
Graham Proudfoot - (Stores,Projects planning,Wood/Metal/Craft)
Douglas Smith & - Shed Building Maintenance
George Cameron &- Shed Building Maintenance
Hector Johnston - Shed Building Maintenance
Glen Neve & - Fundraising (Grant Applications, Tools & Market stalls)
Non Supervisor Duties
Ian Jones - Media, IT & Computer technician
Harry Clark - Publicity, Facebook & Communications

Ask not what the Shed can do for me but What can I do for the Shed
As the Shed evolves the list of duties will most likely change as we try to apply a structure for the Shed to operate smoothly and efficiently. Posts will be added and adjusted as we grow but we will try to keep you informed of all changes. As you can see there are many roles to play in the Shed in order for it to function. I am extremely grateful to each and every member who has offered to make our Shed somewhere special to come to and make members feel part of our small community. If you would like to contribute to the success of our Shed then there is a role for you to play no matter how small. If you want to help out please contact me on chairman.kdms@gmail.com

Looking forward to catching up with you after such a long break
All the best
David 
Chairman



​September 2021


September 2021 NEWSLETTER


Contents:
Introduction
State of play
Cultybraggen visit
Drivers for minibus
First Aid course

Summer has gone and autumn has arrived but Covid is still with us and looks like it will be with us for the foreseeable future. Just like the flu.
I had a discussion with an NHS manager who explained to me how they see things moving forward.
The flu has been around now for a very long time. In 1918 at least 50 million people died from the influenza pandemic. Over the years with vaccines, better life styles and diet that number has been reduced considerably. However between 290,000 and 650,000 people die each year globally from flu.
Covid has take a horrendous toll worldwide and is not going away any time soon. But fortunately with the vaccines, continued research, sensible Covid guidelines and using common sense, the battle against Covid is gaining ground and our lives can return to some form of normality. Life must go on. We need to get out and mix with others and live as normal a life as possible, the economy has to bounce back, a good quality of life has to return, the show needs to go on!

Our Shed at Swansacre is now open and the men are returning to rekindle old relationships and create new ones. We ask everyone to adhere to the Covid guidelines. It is okay to sit and chat over a cup of tea, work in the workshops and use common sense when moving around the building.
The opening hours have increased from 10am to 12 pm to 10am to 1pm Monday, Wednesday and Saturday however if those times are not suitable and you would like other times please let us know. The supervisors who have been faithfully opening the Shed and cleaning after each day have been fantastic, without them the Shed would not be open.

The new woodwork workshop looks fantastic and is now complete with benches, tools, machines and dust extraction and is now being used for individual projects.
The metalwork and cycle workshop is busy as you would expect with bikes being converted to electrical bikes as well as repairs and servicing of bikes. New electric bikes are also available to purchase at huge discounts.
The social area already is busy with tea, coffee and biscuits. Many thanks to George Cameron who has kindly offered to serve up bacon and egg rolls when the kitchen is ready.
Pool, darts and board games are all available for use.
The craft/hobbies and computer rooms are nearing completion and should be finished soon.

A tremendous amount of time and effort by shedders has gone into converting the Learning Centre into our Shed. We have almost completed the huge amount of jobs that were required to make 15 Swansacre our Men’s Shed. A big thank you to the guys who have worked so hard to make the conversion as smooth as possible.

Security cameras are now fitted along with the defibrillator. The Gas heating boiler has been serviced for the winter, planning permission has been granted for the storage container and the security alarm is now upgraded and working.

Comrie Men’s Shed
Nine members travelled by minibus, driven by George Cameron to Comrie Men’s Shed at Cultybraggen for the quarterly P&K Men’s Sheds network meeting. We found their Shed very interesting and we came away with some ideas for our own. We had a great time and it was followed by a lovely lunch which CMS provided. Well done to George Ponton for organising it all.

Minibus driving course
There are a few places for anyone interested in getting a minibus licence for when we hire the minibus for future outings. If you interested please contact me asap.

First Aid Course
There is a one day course on First Aid complete with certification. If you would like to attend this course which will be in our Shed please let me know asap.

XMAS Dinner
Plans are under way to have our first Xmas dinner in the Shed this year. George Ponton is the goto man if you would like to attend or have any suggestions please speak to George.

AGM
This years AGM will be held on the Saturday the 6th November 2021 at 11am and it will be the first in our new Shed and we look forward to seeing you there.
The agenda will be issued nearer the time.

All the best
David 
Chairman