The University of Aberdeen's JUST-Systems project is currently supporting a local men's group in their efforts to secure premises for activities that will have a range of benefits for both the members and the wider community in Torry, Aberdeen.
Men's Sheds are community workshops where men can upskill and engage in making and mending (woodworking and carpentry, metalworking, upcycling, gardening and horticulture, DIY, home improvement and more) all while socialising and building new friendships and connections.
The sheds are valuable community groups that improve wellbeing through comradeship and shared activities, while at the same time providing a significant service to their communities.
The JUST-Systems project has partnered with the Torry Men’s Shed in supporting the group’s case for a Licence to Occupy two buildings in Torry, now being granted by Aberdeen City Council.
The buildings, located in the heart of Torry, Aberdeen, have been underutilised for several years. Following the agreement, it is proposed that they will be repurposed as a base for the community group at a peppercorn rent.
The JUST-Systems team is providing technical support to undertake feasibility studies for the reuse and retrofit of the premises in ways that align with the group's activities and needs, while also demonstrating approaches to energy efficiency and conservation that might be applied to support decarbonisation in other areas of Aberdeen's built environment and inform wider practice in Scotland the UK.
JUST-Systems is a UKRI-funded £5.6 million, five-year research programme designed to place people and communities at the heart of the net zero transition. It develops practical systems informed interventions aimed at improving peoples lives and places and connecting climate action and social justice.
Delivered through a partnership between the Universities of Aberdeen, Stirling, Strathclyde, Edinburgh, Reading, and Warwick, the programme is working closely with five regional case studies - Aberdeen, Clackmannanshire, East Ayrshire, Reading and Wales.
Dr Leonardo Ricaurte, Research Fellow from the School of Geosciences and Aberdeen co-Team Lead, said: “We have been delighted to support the Torry Men’s Shed in their efforts to secure a base. We wanted to get involved because access to affordable and adequate spaces is crucial for community groups to continue developing their initiatives. At the same time, this also provides a great opportunity to demonstrate the potential for community-led retrofit projects in Torry, a key research objective of JUST-Systems.”
Professor John Bone, Aberdeen Team Lead, said: “This is also an important aspect of the project in terms of our regional engagement, and has been supported by Aberdeen City Council as it resonates with a range of its strategic priorities”.
Professor Tavis Potts, Lead Investigator of JUST-Systems said “It’s critically important that we place people and communities at the heart of delivering climate action. This can be done by practical, place-based initiatives that build local capacity and ownership and deliver a just transition.
"This achievement demonstrates how co-created, grassroots initiatives can be advanced through collaboration and partnership between community groups, local authorities and academia, providing local, context-sensitive evidence of potential pathways for decarbonising communities while improving health and wellbeing outcomes.”