The Buckie Men’s Shed have finally responded after rejecting a local man without explanation.
Derek Horrobin attended Buckie Men’s Shed at the end of last year and felt like he bonded with the members.
However, in January, the 72-year-old received a letter to say he had been ejected from the group.
The fall-out from the decision has left the branch without leadership as the chairman and secretary have resigned due to social media backlash and amid accusations of unpleasant emails.
Now, a week later, the shed have provided answers to their decision to refuse Derek’s membership.
They claimed Mr Horrobin ‘tried to gain access’ to the shed on his own and, upon refusal, sent ‘derogatory’ emails to then chairman Les Foreman.
The Men’s Shed committee have also said that a situation where Mr Horrobin claimed he was given a ‘lathe’ intended for general use by the shed also led them to make the decision to refuse his membership.
Mr Horrobin responded to the post on social media by asking the members why they could not have produced a response earlier.
In a post on social media, the group announced the decision was “purely based” on his behaviour during his time at the shed.
Shed claims rejected member penned ‘derogatory’ emails to chairman
They said: “Towards the end of 2024, Derek came along to our Thursday sessions and joined us for our Christmas and Burns events during which time he had been welcomed and seriously considered for membership.
“However earlier this year he wanted access to the shed on his own, having tried to gain entry on several occasions, and was not very happy when this was refused due to the Buckie Men’s Shed and Scottish Men’s Sheds Association rules, as well as on health and safety grounds.
“This was checked with the Scottish Men’s Shed Association who agreed with the committee decision.
“His reaction to this was to pen very nasty and derogatory emails to the chairman.
“He then accompanied several members to uplift equipment donated to our shed from a gentleman in Portessie.
“Afterwards he claimed that he was ‘given’ the smaller of two lathes, which has been refuted by the donor.
“At a following meeting he seemed to ‘seek out’ the above equipment but was prevented from doing so.”
Committee refuse application as it wasn’t ‘for the benefit of the community’
Regarding Mr Horrobin’s application to the group, the committee have said the reasons provided meant he was rejected.
“Derek had submitted an application to become a member of the Buckie Men’s Shed and due to the above mentioned issues his membership was refused,” they added.
“This was considered by the committee along with a few other applications at a meeting in January.
“It appeared to our committee that he was only interested in becoming a member for his own reasons and not for the benefit of the community.”
In a bid for answers answers, Mr Horrobin sent a message to the Men’s Shed group’s WhatsApp group only to be removed.
He then posted on Facebook calling for answers. This post gained dozens of comments.
Now, on the Men’s Shed’s latest post listing the reasons, he commented: “Would it not have been easier to have discussed your concerns with me from the onset?
“I agree that I felt the shed should have been available more often but not necessarily for me on my own, but rather I had nothing to do and at least I could have been doing something, even simply tidying up.
“It was later that I was informed as to the reason why key holders were restricted to the committee only.
“I did believe the smaller lathe was given to me but on this matter I accept I must have been mistaken.”
Derek says he is ‘enthusiastic’ for Men’s Sheds in communities despite rejection
“As to the rest, I had attended a lathe turning course in Caithness and was eager to impart these skills to others.
“I am a badge wearing member of the Scottish Men’s Shed Association (SMSA) and am eager and enthusiastic as to the role of Men’s Sheds in our communities, a circumstance perhaps perceived as something different by others.”
The P&J reached out to Buckie Men’s Shed for its first article, with three attempts made to contact members, over three days, but the shed did not respond.
While Scottish Association of Men’s Sheds is not involved with the day-to-day running of sheds, it has been working to provide clarity on the situation.
Hunt for new chairman and secretary continues as future of men’s shed is ‘uncertain’
They revealed that Buckie Men’s Shed chairman Les Forman had chosen to resign due to “comments and allegations made against him on social media”.
The secretary has also made the decision to resign.
Chief executive Jason Schroeder, from the Scottish Association of Men’s Sheds, said at the time: “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.”
Conversation