By Tyler Wright
The Hills Men’s Shed has used its resources to lend a helping hand to the SES’s Emerald Unit, recently donating a large picnic table for crews to use after attending call outs within the community.
Men’s shed member Tony Hodgson designed and helped build the table hand-crafted from sienna pine, which was donated on Saturday 28 January.
The process took around seven hours, using glue and bugle screws.
“Being a member of the men’s shed, you get things back into the public,” Mr Hodgson said.
“Donating to these guys, it’s such a good thing and it gives me a good feeling we can do that.
“These guys do a great service, and the CFA always do a great service. I think we should do more for them in general.”
Unit Controller Ben Owen said he was not expecting the donation.
“We reached out to them with the possibility of purchasing one, and then we were looking at getting some timber to help with the purchase, and then they came back and said ‘we’re going to build you one, what size do you want?’ Mr Owen said.
“That connection with community groups is amazing… It’s their way of appreciating what we do, and we get to appreciate [what] they can manufacture, which is great.”
“We’ve got a barbecue area at our facility, so when we’re busy, we can come back and have lunch or dinner and sit down at the table… or we can even use it as a training space.”
The Hills Men’s Shed, which is based in Cockatoo, has built a display unit used as a community noticeboard outside the Gembrook Post Office and built a shed for the local school after forming in the early 2000s.
Founding member Gavin Harrison said the shed is a place where men can learn how to weld, use the woodworking machine or even drink coffee and socialise without the pressure of it being an actual job.
“It’s important for men’s health, because men finish work and they’ve had association with men all their working life, and all of a sudden, they’re by themselves or they’re at home annoying their wife,” Mr Harrison said.
“Because they’re not used to being together all day, every day, and being able to come here, talk to men, and talk about men’s problems, or talk about their own problems.
“It doesn’t go outside the shed, it stays within the shed, and between us.
Mr Harrison said members can offer help to each other or even assist in finding help elsewhere.
“It is of great value,” he said.
The group is looking for more members to and are welcoming men and women of all ages from any area, with existing members from areas including Gembrook, Clematis, Emerald and Upper Beaconsfield.
For more information on the Hills Men’s Shed, contact 5968 9473.
