Shine - Anglican Retirement Villages

The array of beautiful and practical
items that emerge from the Men’s
Workshop at Donald Robinson
Village are a testament both to
the skill and the resourcefulness
of the participants.
words SARitA EngLAnd
Photo ALEx CRAig
W“wHy spenD Lots of money getting
something new when you can recycle
something you have already got?” asks
Kevin Carter, secretary of the workshop.
why indeed.
Last year the Men’s workshop was
given the task of building the manger and
throne for the arV Christmas pageant.
of course, John wilson, aided by others
in the workshop, decided to make it out
of recycled materials—but struck a small
problem at their first attempt, when the
office partitions they had planned to
use were found to be filled with foam!
eventually some solid office partitions,
kept by a staff member who hadn’t been
able to throw them out, found a new life as
the throne and manger.
Keen-eyed residents, staff members and
friends keep the workshop well supplied
with wood for recycling. according to Kevin
council clean-ups provide rich pickings for
the recycling buff.
“you can furnish a house with the stuff
that gets thrown out around here. a lot of it
is in good working condition; it is just being
replaced,” he says. “while we don’t trawl
the streets looking for timber, if we notice a
good piece we take it back to the workshop.”
recently the olive trees were pruned at
Donald robinson Village. Kevin collected
some of the branches from which, he says,
“we will make stirrers and other things for
the kitchen”.
shine 57