Tyler Redway
IN celebration of Men’s Shed Week, the Mount Gambier Men’s Shed are reminding locals how important it was to have a community gathering place for men in need of a support network.
Mount Gambier Men’s Shed secretary Paul Edgeworth said the basic principle of the men’s shed was to allow men to get together to share thoughts and experiences with each other.
Mr Edgeworth said he initially wanted to support another member of the shed before he joined himself, where he was required to make the member’s scones.
He said making the scones was a long running tradition for members of the shed, which helped to further strengthen the mateships of members involved.
“Making things is secondary to our original idea, so the support for each other is the main thing,” Mr Edgeworth said.
“Generally we do everything here in the shed so the guys are here to interact with each other, we don’t go out somewhere to build something for someone else.
“We get all sorts of requests, so it’s open to the imagination as to what can be done and we do have the room to do it.”
Mr Edgeworth said around 65 to 70 per cent of the members of the Mount Gambier Men’s Shed had some form of disability whether it be mental or physical.
He said the camaraderie which the men’s shed had built allowed there to be a support network for any member of the group in need, including for members who had passed away.
“There are various people who provide a support network to ring people up and check in on them when they are unwell.”
Mr Edgeworth said members would often ask the families of deceased men’s shed members if a tribute of scones could be placed on their casket as a sign of respect.
Mount Gambier Men’s Shed president Ian Bond said members were not obligated to finish jobs as soon as possible and could focus on striking up a conversation if they chose to.
Mr Bond added the Mount Gambier Men’s Shed was the only shed which actively had members make scones.
“There are guys who could be out in the workshop but after smoko, they start a conversation and that’s where they’ll stay, while the job they are working on will wait,” Mr Bond said.
Mr Bond said a highlight of recent Men’s Shed history was contributing hand-crafted toys to the Mount Gambier Christmas Appeal.
“When I came here, I had been involved for about 18 months through my Rotary club with a group called the Woodville Toymakers,” he said.
“I came in here, when someone asked me what I used to do, so I told him I was a part of the toymakers and then he disappeared, so I thought I had upset him.
“All of a sudden, he came back and had actually been with the council, so we have since been making wooden toys for the Mayor’s Christmas Appeal.
“For four months, I was doing 40 hour weeks and the only time I went inside my home was to go to bed.”
