Wednesday December 10th 2025
Dalkeith Men's Shed's first Carer Led Worship session last Tuesday at One Dalkeith
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
A Dalkeith based men’s shed partnered with VOCAL (Voice of Carers Across Lothian) to organise a ‘regular men’s shed activity’ that also emphasises the wants and needs for carer’s in Midlothian.
Hosting the first session last Tuesday (2 December) at One Dalkieth, Dalkieth Men’s Shed’s new Carer Led Workshops marks a new community initiative for the group, running a special session weekly that allows an oppurtunity for socialising, support and advice for unpaid carers in Midlothian.
Explained as ‘business as usual for the shed’ with ‘not a lot of format changed’, the sessions act as a typical men’s shed activity but with additional support added for carers in the county, aiming to reduce the stigma and create new opportunities.
The project is part of VOCAL’s Midlothian Carer Community Fund, which is funded by Midlothian HSCP and allocates funds to community organisations.
With over 230 men’s shed community groups in Scotland, they create a space for men to gather and work on projects, share skills, socialise and build things, overall combatting loneliness and creating an important community.
The carer workshops emerged due to the men’s shed having a strong relationship with VOCAL, due to the charities Community Development Officer, Naomi Knights, regularly checking in with members of the men’s shed who are unpaid carers. After various conversations with Naomi, Dalkeith Men’s Shed identified a need for tailored support in Midlothian.
Secretary of Dalkeith Men’s Shed, John Bell, explained:
“Through conversations with Naomi, we identified a real need for tailored support and activities for male unpaid carers within our community.”
“As a result, we developed a workshop day that not only serves as a regular Men’s Shed activity but also emphasises the wants and needs of carers themselves. We hope this initiative will foster meaningful connections, introducing new participants to VOCAL’s incredible support resources and also inviting carers already connected with VOCAL to discover the Men’s Shed as a welcoming space.”
Naomi Knights from VOCAL added:
“We’re delighted to support Dalkeith Men’s Shed through our Carer Community Fund. Caring is often a hidden issue, and we know it can be difficult to talk about supporting your spouse, partner, or someone close to you.
“Dalkeith Men’s Shed’s newly established carers group aims to reduce this stigma and create opportunities for connection among those in similar situations. It’s a hugely welcoming and inclusive space, and we would encourage carers to give it a go!”
With the first carer-led workshop being last Tuesday, the event was a great succes drawing in a large turnout.
“Our soft launch was a great success”, John explained, “there was a good turnout from existing carers and even a new member who joined after hearing about the initiative.
“We’re excited to continue building on this partnership and expanding the support network for unpaid carers in our community.”
Aiming to continue the weekly carer support sessions into the future, last weeks soft launch marked the beginning of an important initiative for Dalkeith Men’s Shed.
For more information on Dalkeith Men’s Shed click here and for more information on VOCAL visit their website.
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