By Cam Lucadou-Wells
After months of fund-raising and toil, Akoonah Park Men’s Shed’s 165 members have unveiled their ‘West Wing’.
The $130,000 recreation room, commercial-size kitchen and “nuclear-bunker strength” toilets make quite the man cave, largely built with the hands and knowhow of the shed’s retirees.
Some estimated the volunteer labour saved $50,000.
On hand is a library, pool tables, video projector, sick-bay bed, couches, armchairs and smart TV – the perfect place to have a cuppa with this chatty group of enterprising blokes.
It was paid for by a combination of council, state and federal grants, donations, sausage sizzle fund-raisers and $50 pitched in by each Men’s Shed member.
There was a mass of donated materials from businesses and people, such as carpet tiles, seats, timber panelling and a pool table.
At the launch on 4 May, president Ron Sterling declared the journey of construction was as satisfying as the outcome.
“Our members are very proud of their shed.”
Setting the tone, the shed’s music group strummed behind an affirming song: “It’s all right, it’s OK/Doesn’t really matter if you’re old and grey.”
On an in-house video, past president Lindsay Harding said the shed was not just about “playing around with tools”.
Its main thrust was men’s health, and it was a supporter of the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Part of that health message is simply to have men talk among men.
They could talk to each other about what they’re going through. Sometimes these were matters they wouldn’t talk about at home.
The shed is open five days a week, buzzing with monthly movie nights, photo club, woodworking, blacksmithing, a music group and soon-to-start cookery classes.
Currently the workshop is abuzz with an extensive renovation of ‘Doris’ – a 50-year-old Morris Minor – to sell off for charity.
Mr Sterling said the next challenge was to open up at evenings and weekends for potential employed members.
“We’re starting to get some younger guys here. We’ve got a uni student who comes here on his day off to learn about blacksmithing – those skills that are lost.
“We’ve got that critical mass of people. You can almost find an expert in anything.”
