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The
Men’s
Shed
The ‘Men’s Shed’ is an initiative to improve the health of men by
giving them a place in their communities where they can find companionship
and purpose. The sheds are making a difference to
thousands of men from all over Australia and New Zealand. Carol
Russell visited one of the sheds and spoke to some of the participants.
I was reminded of the appeal of a good shed recently when visiting
my brother on a freezing cold day in Tasmania. After lunch,
we left the warm and cosy little house in the foothills of the Western
Tiers, preferring the atmosphere in the old shearers shed that
Kerry has converted to a workshop. We sat around a big wood
stove with a drink and chatted about tools and project plans and
the meaning of life. The smell of lanolin hung in the air, reminding
me of the shed’s former use. It was a great day.
My brother’s shed is an unattainable dream to many people. As
cities grow and housing blocks decrease in size, more of us live in
units or move into tidy manicured suburbs and retirement homes.
There just isn’t the space to make a mess, gather with some
friends and let our imaginations roam free.
The Men’s Sheds were formed to address a growing concern over
the lack of attention given to men’s health issues, particularly anxiety
and depression which can be triggered by the isolation that
retirement or family breakdown can create. It’s recognised that
men are less likely to confide in others and seek help with their
problems than women.
The mantra of the peak body for the Men’s Sheds - The Australian
Men’s Shed Association ( AMSA ) is ‘health by stealth’. When you
visit a shed the health aspect isn’t ‘in your face’. People go to the
sheds for different reasons and are free to engage on whatever
level they want with the other ‘sheddies’. It’s really just a group
of men getting together in a relaxed atmosphere to make or fix
things, swap ideas and maybe share a cup of coffee and a chat.
Anyone considering joining a shed needn’t be concerned that
they will be forced into revealing more about themselves than they
are comfortable with.
During my visit to the Carina Men’s Shed situated in Brisbane, Mal
Weier, the shed’s president explains that each one of the almost
800 sheds throughout the country is different. The skills of the
membership, its location and the facilities available at each Men’s
Shed shape its style and the activities that are on offer. These can
include just about anything. Some examples of the more common
activities are: wood and metalwork, photography, computing, furniture
restoration, car mechanics and even cooking, nutrition and
fitness.
The sheds rely on the support of the local councils, communities
and businesses to help with resources and finding a suitable location.
If they register with the peak body, Australian Men’s Shed
Association (AMSA ) there is an enormous support network to call
on. They offer help with the practical aspects of starting up and
managing a shed such as insurance, risk management, funding
and accessing resources.
The AMSA have a comprehensive website that can be used to locate
sheds and an online forum entitled ‘The Shed Online’. This is
a virtual Men’s Shed that contains a discussion forum where men