Community Men's Sheds

[Ekim]

I recently read an interesting article entitled “Men in Sheds” published on 29 Sept 07 in the West Weekend Magazine, an insert to the West Australian newspaper, the main daily newspaper in Western Australia. The article refers to the rise of "Community Men's Sheds" in Australia. Personally, I have never heard of these type of sheds but a Google search revealed a number of links, one of which follow:
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http://www.mensheds.com.au/index.php?id=28 (http://www.mensheds.com.au/index.php?id=28)
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Certain comments/observations contained in above mentioned article struck accord with me. These comments/observations may be of some interest to members of this Forum. Most of the comments are attributed to Barry Golding, an associate professor in education at the University of Ballarat:
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“Many men in retirement feel quite lost. They aren’t likely to talk about it face to face but they will go and find something to do with other people”.

“I’ve said many times that if you call it a Men’s Health Centre, men won’t come. It you call it a Men’s Learning Centre, men won’t come. But if you call it a Men’s Shed, they will come because it gives them licence to come for another reason".

“Men tend not to communicate face to face, they tend to communicate shoulder to shoulder. It’s about doing something together and communicating in the process”.
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Golding notes that it is not just retirees with time on their hands who make up the sheddies. Sheddies include men who have been “dealt a fairly difficult hand in life”. It may be as the result of financial hardship, divorce, lost access to children, un<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comhttp://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/<st1:PersonName>em</st1:PersonName>ployment or a combination of one or more factors. Golding also notes there is valuable community work taking place at community sheds across <st1:country-region>Australia</st1:country-region> – building wheelchair ramps, renovating toy libraries, fixing up community halls, creating kitchens at adult education centres, and building furniture at child-care centres.

[Ekim]

Further observations from Golding …..Community sheds are a new phenomenon that appears to be unique to Australia, particularly in southern Australia. “If you draw a line between Perth and Newcastle” says Golding, “95 per cent of community sheds are below that line for reasons we don’t yet understand” (for the benefit of those people who are not familiar with Australia’s geography, Perth is located on the west coast while Newcastle, some 4,000 kilometres from Perth, is located on the east coast).
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The article published a comment from an unknown caller to a talk back radio show - “Basically, it’s somewhere you come and meet a lot of nice blokes. We’ve got a lot in common and it’s a bit of companionship. It’s something that ….gets back to the primitive tribesmen sitting around a fire sharpening up their arrows – it’s that sort of situation…”.
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The article’s conclusion:
“Today, there are an estimated 200 community men’s sheds in Australia……... Maybe the time has passed when a shed in the back garden was every Aussie bloke’s heritage. But the way community sheds are multiplying, they’ll at least have the chance to be called a sheddie”.
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[Gra]

same article appeared in the age weekend lift out a couple of months ago, was a good read.

[seriph1]

hey folks - I watched one of those current affairs shows on Friday night where they did a short piece on the shed phenomenon - frankly ti looked brilliant and as I am building a shed for the purpose of bringing people together in my local area, the timing seemed ideal. the men who shared their experiences really conveyed what a positive experience it was - reminded me of life back 'in the old street' where the sense of connection between people was stronger. I can't wait to get ours up and running! Here's what I am proposing to build ..... fun fun fun.

[OBBob]

Fantastic! My father-in-law is involved in one where he goes to help other guys out. Most are either mentally handicapped or suffer some sort of depression. He loves it and I think he gets as much out of it the guys he is supporting. Toward Christmas they will start to produce little wooden toys to distribute to under privalleged children.

[seriph1]

I know a couple of privileged children I wouldn't mind putting something under

A ROCKET!

:D:D:D:D:D:D

[Mcblurter]

In the old days communities used to build things together and work together and talk whilst they did it. I'm involved in Community Health and often there are ideas of men's health groups, have to write up all the paperwork evaluate etc etc. Still think having a woodturning group, or building wooden toys for charity, fixing computers for charity etc etc is a far better way for men to talk about issues and get support, but what would I know, I'm just a bloke!!!!!
Cheers
McBluretr

[wheelinround]

Further observations from Golding …..Community sheds are a new phenomenon that appears to be unique to Australia, particularly in southern Australia. “If you draw a line between Perth and Newcastle” says Golding, “95 per cent of community sheds are below that line for reasons we don’t yet understand” (for the benefit of those people who are not familiar with Australia’s geography, Perth is located on the west coast while Newcastle, some 4,000 kilometres from Perth, is located on the east coast).

This guys got UNI education "and he don't know where he are":o, bloody hell 95% of flamin production & productivity is done below that equator even I could tell you that:doh:

I know that even thats where the greatest population exsists WHERE THE FLAMIN WORK IS.:doh: some country areas are getting them also for farmers who have had to sell off everything due to ruin and depression (lack of water and sitting round)


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The article’s conclusion:
“Today, there are an estimated 200 community men’s sheds in Australia……... Maybe the time has passed when a shed in the back garden was every Aussie bloke’s heritage. But the way community sheds are multiplying, they’ll at least have the chance to be called a sheddie”.
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I am not knocking them I feel they should be more forth coming in their real purpose.

One thing it doesn't tell you many are religously based (no problem with that for me) I have visited one of these and discussed with those there and found out that you MUST do community service on behalf of commitments the religous groups have made. Toy's plus more.

Now these are good sheds with what they need support and getting men out of the house, many live alone, some of these are one day a week others open more. Soem had heart problems and trying to recover others just lonley.

I saw men from all walks of life top salary to lowly tradie who could no longer afford the tools.

Men playing dumb so they didn't have to do that task, others all to willing to jump in, some found their own direction.

The one I visited Rule No 1 no making anything for yourself till you put in work for charity.Not bad if you have been working your butt off doing for others and burned out depression etc has brought you back to the doorstep.:C:C:C

[seriph1]

RAMBLE ALERT RAMBLE ALERT!!!!

not really on topic, but I just got in from an afternoon spent meeting the business owners in the main street of our town .... was a lot of fun - had a few laughs and of course a fair share of time was spent educating me about everything that's wrong with our town, but that's OK. I believe that when someone somewhere decides to break the cycle (no matter what that cycle may be) of negativity and couldnt-be-buggered'ness .... as well as "we-tried-that-before-and-it-didnt-work'ness," things will start to happen. Conversations begin, along with debate. We have a gabfest tomorrow night centred around revitalising our main shopping strip and making it far more welcoming than it currently is....I hope it will be well attended but even numbers are down, those who are there will do their level best to make a difference in our main street and will be able to say they were there when the big change began.

To bring this sermonette around to our discussion here - I believe that events like forums (physical and internet) and Men's Sheds are expressions of our strong desire to reconnect with each other and actively participate to make things better. Seeing the segment on Friday night reminded me of when I was a kid and saw a show I 'think' was called either called Katzanjama kids or "our Gang" - anyway, I have always remembered one episode where the kid with the pointy beanie asked this, of a kid from outside their group: "Who do you run with?" reply: "huh?" ..... “Who's your gang? ... Reply: "Oh, I don't have a gang" to which the kid put his arm around him and said "now you do ... c'mon." And off they ran.

That simple display of humanity has stayed with me and I still feel moved when I think of it.

I want to run with people who extend the hand of friendship readily, who are brave enough to try and fail, who are willing to appear foolish to help others forget their pain, and who forgive my many shortcomings because they know my true motives.

That would be a gang I’d be proud to be part of – and that’s why I want a shed….a big shed

Have fun!

[STAR]

Thought I should bump this up to the top again, as I feel it is too important to drop out of sight.

I have recently joined a wood working group that is attached to a religious order. However, this organization , has the ability, to divorce themselves from that and provide a structure that allows the community to co exist in harmony with a clear solitary objective.

Apparently, they have a craft center on the premises ( I am still learning what is going on ) that enables the ladies of the city the ability to learn new skills in nearly all crafts. The more experienced ladies are acting as instructors and helping to teach the newer members in their particular crafts.

In the wood working section, which is all I can speak of , and in limited knowledge, they are providing a terrific service, so much so, that I doubt the members and instructors there, realize, what an important job they are doing.

I have been involved in a lot of sports clubs, actively, and as a parent supporting my children, who have now grown up and moved on. I have been in Apex and Rotary, been active in a political party, and have always had a passive interest in wood work since I was a child, even though my ability, was suspect.

This group I have joined has blown me away. It is a Wood Workers Nirvana, Whether it be wood work or turning they have it. They run four days a week,divided between Wood Work, Turning or Scrolling.

They have a set up that would hold up with most commercial joinery shops and the fellowship and instructors, all past professional people is first class. I go one day a week, because I still have some work commitments and after the second week, I was advised that a project I was doing needed a small amount of turning. I was prepared to go to Bunnings and buy the round nobs to complete the project.

I have had no experience with turning at all , but when I went down to the other end of the shed and met the instructor a strange thing happened. I do not know if it was because , everybody new, that i was a newbie and knew stuff all about turning, one by one, every body, including , all the instructors, gathered their chairs, and mingled around me.

Now, I suspect they all came up for a bit of fun, or maybe, they heard, me issue some profanities that were meant to be under my breathe when I dug the chisel in too deep and ripped out a huge gorge in some camfa that they had given me to kill.

PS

While I will continue to come here for the wood work, it is the fellowship, that has won me, and I suspect the reason , many of the instructors who are well into the retirement age come. The morning tea session appears to be the most important part of the day's outing.

[Wood Borer]

Our local shed is called a Community Shed rather than a Men's Shed.

There are lots of classes conducted there in both Woodwork and Metal Work.

This term there is Woodworking for Boys and Woodworking for Women so it is not just for blokes. There are other courses and of course opportunities for casual use.

I have some involvement with it so anybody like Seriph1 who wants to visit can have a chat with those who helped set it up and currently run it - send me a PM if you want further info.