The Story of How
Mintlaw & District Men’s Shed Began

Finding Inspiration in Every Turn

Mintlaw & District Men’s Shed was founded through a shared vision of community, connection, and purpose. Our journey began when Aden Country Park secured funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to upgrade the park’s facilities. This included essential work to make the Heritage-grade cottage wind and watertight. While the interior refurbishment wasn’t covered by the funding, Aberdeenshire Council offered the use of the cottage and yard to our members and we gladly accepted.

Support and Establishment

Throughout our early stages, the Buchan Development Partnership provided crucial support, offering practical and legal guidance as we laid the foundations for the Shed. In March 2019, we formally became a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), with our own bank account, constitution, and three founding trustees.

Our Purpose

Since our inception, our mission has been clear:

To provide recreational facilities and promote the wellbeing of all adults aged 18+ in Mintlaw and surrounding areas by developing and maintaining a welcoming space our Men’s Shed.
To support adults facing challenges such as ill health, age-related issues, disability, or social disadvantage. We aim to reduce isolation by offering opportunities for meaningful social, creative, physical, and recreational engagement.
To encourage the sharing of skills and knowledge among members and within the wider community.

Our vision for the cottage was to create a communal social space with a kitchen, toilet, and meeting area. The upstairs rooms were transformed into an office and a small IT hub, offering members and local residents basic digital skills training from browsing the internet to using email and shopping online.

Growth and Adaptation

Over two years, we secured funding to convert storage containers and purchase essential tools and equipment. We’ve also been incredibly fortunate to receive generous donations from the community both items and temporary storage solutions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, our commitment to our members never wavered. Many of our members, particularly older individuals, were shielding and unable to engage online. We kept in touch with regular phone calls, letters, and, for those who could connect digitally, fortnightly Zoom meetings where we shared fellowship and laid out plans for the future.

Working with Young People

In early 2021, we were approached by Police Scotland with a request: would we be willing to mentor students from Mintlaw Academy?

We recognised the importance and responsibility of this opportunity. To work with children, our members needed to undergo PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) checks a costly process. With the support of a grant from Aberdeenshire Council, who were eager for us to be involved, we secured funding to move forward. This enabled us to begin developing meaningful project work for the young people in our community.

Aden Picture Framing Joins the Men’s Shed

Mintlaw & District Men’s Shed is proud to welcome a new chapter in our journey through the integration of a well-established local business now rebranded as Aden Picture Framing.

As Shed Chairman Gordon Reid explains:

“We were fortunate to accept an offer from Stanley, owner of the Framers Workshop in Maud, who is seeking to semi-retire while ensuring the business he built over many years continues. Stanley has kindly agreed to train our Shed members as part of a transition plan.”

This partnership creates a unique opportunity for our members to develop new skills in bespoke picture framing, aligning perfectly with the hands-on experience many already have in wood and glass work.

The Aden Picture Framing Workshop will now operate from the Men’s Shed premises, with Stanley providing expert training to ensure quality and craftsmanship continue at the highest standard.

Our official opening ceremony was conducted by Amanda Roe, Buchan Area Manager at Aberdeenshire Council on the 24th May 2025.