Page 1225 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 7 May 2014
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debilitating illnesses and provide men with the links to enable social interaction and build a culture which is based on inclusion and mutual respect.
The values of the organisation are to ensure that it:
... is accessible to all men and whose primary activity is the provision of a safe, friendly and healing environment where men are able to work on meaningful projects at their own pace in their own time in the company of other men.
These community-based, not-for-profit, non-commercial organisations provide a service to the community which is particularly relevant in our ever-increasing ageing society. With age comes the decision to downsize. Long gone are the backyard sheds and garages for men to tinker and create in. Men’s sheds provide an opportunity for men to come together, whether it be to fix toys, undertake a new woodwork project or learn or transfer a skill. I have had firsthand experience of Goodwin men’s shed where I was shown the great benefits that these facilities have to offer both the community at large and the members involved.
I applaud the work of men like Jim Crane at Goodwin who provides support and administrative direction to his group, enabling their 56 members to, apart from pursuing their individual hobbies, assist the wider Goodwin homes community through helping older residents with furniture repairs, making toys for grandchildren and other much valued assistance.
Men’s sheds are not just about woodwork and metal; they are about men working in a constructive environment sharing interests and skills with other men. Depending on which men’s shed you join, you can learn anything from computers to metal work, with the philosophy being more about support and inclusion than skill and experience. Men’s sheds provide a sense of mateship where men can go and have a cuppa and a chat or undertake their latest woodwork project.
A good example of this is the work carried out by Harry Redfern and members of the Melba shed. I have heard from various other men’s shed groups how much they admire the initiatives of the Melba shed, which includes, apart from their normal men’s shed activities, community work with local primary schools like Charnwood and Mount Rogers where they provide mentoring to individual students through using Meccano building projects, a support that I understand is very much appreciated by their local school communities.
Because of examples like these and other similar groups, it is vital that the ACT government does its bit to ensure the continued success of men’s sheds throughout the ACT. I note that Mr Gentleman has called on the government to continue the current feasibility study to investigate the best way to make ACT government information and services available and to investigate the provision of training opportunities for ACT men’s sheds members.
These are all aspects we support. However, without the sheds themselves, there is no program. The government needs to ensure the delivery of these is in a timely manner and within the time frames it has set itself. You only need to look at the debacle that
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