Scottish Men's Sheds founder recognised with RGU honorary award

Jason Schroeder is the founder of the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA), a charitable organisation dedicated to developing and supporting local Men’s Shed groups. These volunteer-run spaces provide a welcoming environment where men can come together to socialise in a safe environment, work on shared projects, build friendships, and find a renewed sense of purpose.

Professor Steve Olivier, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, said: “Jason’s work with the SMSA and its members across Scotland is truly inspiring. 

“The fact that Men’s Sheds can be found throughout the North East, where it all started, and now across Scotland, shows how big a positive impact they make in our communities by tackling isolation and transforming the lives of men who visit them and take part in their activities.”

After immigrating to Aberdeenshire from South Africa in 1997, Jason drew from his life experiences, including his service in the South African marines and running the family newspaper business at the age of 23, to become a passionate advocate for community-led change.

His first involvement in the movement was in 2009 with a talk given in Inverurie by the chairman of the New Zealand Men’s Sheds Association, Dr Neil Bruce, who was on holiday. This led to a four-year period in voluntarily co-founding the UK Men’s Sheds Association (UKMSA), representing Scotland and helping establish the Westhill Men’s Shed in Aberdeenshire, the first of its kind in Scotland. The Westhill Shed quickly became a model of success, drawing over 5,000 visits in its first 18 months and evolving into a self-sustaining charitable organisation. Jason served as a trustee for six years and used this experience to advocate for the expansion of the concept throughout the country. 

Recognising the growing demand for support, Jason became the first paid Scottish Men’s Shed Development Officer with Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action tasked to replicate the success of the Westhill Men’s Shed model across Aberdeenshire. After repeated calls from communities across Scotland to help set up Sheds in their own towns and the lack of funding for Scotland through the UKMSA, Jason created the SMSA in 2014 as an independent Scottish charity to provide the infrastructure and guidance needed to grow the movement.

In November 2015, the SMSA officially launched at The Lighthouse in Glasgow, followed by a regional roadshow that introduced the initiative to different communities across Scotland.
A year after launch, the organisation received a start up grant from the Scottish Government with paid positions, recognising the importance of its preventative approach to health and community cohesion, particularly among a demographic that is often overlooked and hard to reach.

Jason Schroeder’s pioneering work continues to uplift and connect men across Scotland with the slogan "Silent – No More”. Under his leadership, the SMSA, with its small, dedicated staff team and trustees, has become a powerful force for change, enabling men to communicate their feelings in safe places and transforming isolation into active participation and camaraderie within their communities.

Since being established over a decade ago, the SMSA now supports over 200 Men’s Sheds across Scotland, serving more than 10,000 men and boasting over 4,500 individual members, making it Scotland’s largest member-led male health charity. The movement promotes preventative health, wellbeing, and community engagement for all men over the age of eighteen, particularly those who have time on their hands due to retirement, shift work, being a veteran or being unemployed.  

Jason Schroeder was awarded with a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) award at P&J Live, Aberdeen on Thursday 03 July.