The future of Buckie Men’s Shed has been plunged into doubt after a feud between its senior members and a rejected applicant.
The fall-out from the decision not to allow the would-be recruit to join the group has left the branch without leadership, meaning it could be forced to close according to the association.
Derek Horrobin attended Buckie Men’s Shed for two months and felt like he bonded with the members.
However, in January, the 72-year-old received a letter to say he had been rejected in his application to join.
Despite his search for answers, the group has still not told Derek the reason for rejecting him.
Having reviewed the decision taken in Buckie, Men’s Shed bosses say they found no problem with the ruling.
72-year-old hits out over Buckie Men’s Shed rejection
Now, after Derek posted to social media revealing what happened, the chairman and secretary of the men’s shed have resigned.
The chief executive of the Scottish Association of Men’s Sheds has now said the future of the shed is uncertain if they can’t find volunteers to take up the roles.
Derek, who was the former Community Council chairman, worked as a child and families social worker for 10 years in Moray and then went on to work as a criminal justice social worker in the Highlands.
When he retired with his wife Lorraine, the pair worked on crofts and voluntary work in their community.
They then moved back to Buckie last year and Lorraine suggested for him to join the local men’s shed.
Wife saw ‘difference’ in Derek in his two months with the group
Lorraine said: “I had advised Derek to go to the men’s shed because his health had become poorly.
“I thought that would do him a word of good, and it did.
“I saw a difference in him in the two months he had been there for.”
Derek was at the shed for two months and went to events like their annual Christmas lunch as well as the Burns Supper.
Here, he “got on well” with everyone and was “keen to help out” when necessary.
But it was in January when he received a letter that said his application to join the men’s shed was rejected.
The letter simply reads: “Dear Derek.
“We recently had a committee meeting where we discussed your membership application and, unfortunately, your application has not been approved.”
Derek had many attempts of getting answers, though he still has not been told why his application was rejected by the committee.
From studying other men’s shed administrations, he found committees are to assist in running the shed – not controlling who can attend.
Lorraine added: “Who is it for them to judge?
“How can you justify to give a man hope and meaning, and to then take it away from him in a letter to say that we are rejecting you with no explanation?”
Buckie Men’s Shed ‘avoids’ giving Derek answers
When he sent a message to the Men’s Shed group’s WhatsApp group, he was removed and given no reasoning.
Feeling like he had no other way of communication, he posted on Facebook calling for answers.
He has since gained dozens of comments of support from locals.
Group admin Kath Wood has supported him, even after chairperson Les Forman sent a message to her asking for Derek’s post to be removed.
Other committee members have also allegedly asked for the post to be removed.
Derek said the whole ordeal has made him feel “rejected”, especially as he initially felt welcomed by the group.
Derek said: “I’m interested in people and that’s why I enjoyed the men’s shed.
“When I received that letter, it really did affect me.
“I felt not only rejected from the Men’s Shed, but I also felt rejected from life.
“It’s totally contrary given that men’s shed are supposed to make people feel valued.”
Buckie Men’s Shed called a ‘clique’
Mr Horrobin added that others on his Facebook post have commented about their experiences of the shed.
One man said that a family member tried to get involved with the group and was “basically ignored.”
“It seems to be a clique,” Derek added.
The Press and Journal reached out to the Buckie Men’s Shed, though they did not respond.
Chairman and secretary resign from men’s shed
Despite the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association not being involved with the day-to-day running of sheds, they have been working to provide clarity on the situation.
They revealed that the Buckie Men’s Shed chairman Les Forman today, due to “comments and allegations made against him on social media”, has chosen to resign.
The secretary has also made the decision to resign.
Chief executive Jason Schroeder from the Scottish Association of Men’s Sheds said: “I have spoken to the shed’s ex-chairman today. Unfortunately, due to the personal comments and allegations made personally against him on social media by the public, he has become disheartened and resigned as has the shed’s secretary.”
Mr Schroeder also said that if new volunteers are not elected for the legal positions of chairman and secretary, then the outcome could be that the whole shed will close.
This will mean “many more lives would be directly impacted including the whole community.”
Association could find ‘no fault or discrepancies’ with decision process
He added that after looking at the recorded minutes of the meeting regarding Derek’s application, he could not find any faults or discrepancies.
Also, from conversations the chief executive has had, they cannot see that the Men’s Shed board has contravened or broken any membership rules.
“We can already see the impact this situation is negatively impacting on more than one man’s life i.e. Derek Horrobin,” he added.
“Unfortunately Men’s Sheds as much as we would like them to be, cannot be open to all men even though that is our vision.
“As Men’s Sheds are run by volunteers with the ‘By the Men – For the Men’ ethos they care but are not carers.
“So a man needs to be physically and mentally capable of looking after himself safely, be able to support and follow the rules of membership in the shed for the benefit of the whole and not only himself.”
Mr Schroeder emphasised that the shed is an independent charity and sometimes “hard decisions have to be made which are unpopular.”
He said: “In this case three men were approved for their Sheds membership and one was not.”
“My hope is that Derek might find the support he requires for a better quality life. At this time the decision has been made after long discussions at their board meeting that the Buckie Men’s Shed cannot support his membership.”
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