A group of Turriff residents have launched a new branch of the increasingly popular Men’s Shed community project.
The initiative grew from a project in Australia and aims to provide community space for men to tinker, repair, design, build and socialise with others.
There are already a dozen Men’s Sheds in Aberdeenshire, with Westhill the first in Scotland.
Following the success of similar projects in the region a steering committee has been formed to find a home for a Turriff branch.
Last night organiser Ian Murray said the eight-man Turriff committee have already finalised a constitution and are now in the hunt for a shed of their own.
“We’re at what I’d call the embryo stage,” he said. “We’ve got a formal constitution and we’ve applied for charitable status. Our next thing is going to be looking for suitable premises in Turriff. If there are any businesses out there with a spare shed, we would be interested in it.
He added: “We have identified two premises in Turriff – I can’t name them just now – that we’re going to visit.”
The group was inspired by the success of the Westhill Men’s Shed, which provides a space for members to work on projects and hobbies in a social environment.
The Ellon and District Men’s Shed group – which was established in 2013 – found a home earlier this year when Aberdeenshire Council handed over the keys to a disused local authority depot.
A large number of the “shedders” who attend are retired, but the scheme is open to all ages.