Highfields Men ’ s Shed helps mates
Men ’ s Shed . Most of us have heard of the name but many of us have no idea what happens inside . Across Australia there are over 930 active Men ’ s Sheds , and if you looked inside one you might see a few young men working with older men learning new skills and learning something about life . You ’ ll see coffee cups , comfortable chairs and big smiles , you ’ ll hear laughter and the sound of machines whirring away . You ’ ll smell sawdust , leather and coffee . In this edition of BOLD , we visited the Highfields Men ’ s Shed President , Richard Creagh to see what really goes on inside a typical Men ’ s Shed .
Can you start by telling us about the Highfields Men ’ s Shed ?
I ’ d describe our Men ’ s Shed as a place with a friendly environment where men come together and support one another in so many ways ; health , wellbeing , mental health issues - all while doing something fun and constructive . I joined because I was in the army for over 20 years , followed by 21 years in the Queensland Police Force . When I retired I felt restless and needed to do something worthwhile .
When did the Shed open and how did it all begin ?
We started our Shed in January 2012 with just a handful of guys . We rented a small scout hall and then when our numbers grew , we moved over to the Danish Flower Art Centre . Suddenly there were about a dozen of us but we had no funds or land to operate on . We applied for community grants , received funds from the Heritage Bank and finally an offer from Aussie Outdoor Sheds and Patios to build our current Shed , which is huge by the way !
How members do you have ? We currently have about 55 members . We ’ re open Mondays and Thursdays and on these days we have 30 blokes turn up . We know we ’ re not a big club , but we believe in quality over quantity .
What types of guys comes here ? We have lawyers , ex-police officers , ex-ambulance officers and truck drivers . Our oldest member is 89 and our youngest is in his 20s , he ’ s a police officer and comes in here on his days off . Most of us are retired , older guys , some of us are widowers and some have medical issues but that ’ s no big deal . We ’ re all from different walks of life with different life experiences that we all share together . We ’ re about equality . We ’ re a motley crew , but I wouldn ’ t have it any other way !
Describe a typical day here ? We turn up in the morning and start with coffee and snacks to get us going , then we sit back and discuss what we ’ re working on that day . Most of the blokes love a good chat , but some of the newer guys are reserved and don ’ t talk too much , but they soon open up . After our morning catch up we set up for our jobs . It ’ s mostly woodwork and metalwork but also some leather work here and there . Many of the guys just work on their own projects like restoring furniture , fixing cabinets or hobby work , but we regularly help out the community with projects . Recently an elderly lady came to us with a request for help . She had an old waterbed that was falling apart and she couldn ’ t afford to buy a new bed , so the guys went out to her house and fixed her bed for free . This is the kind of work we enjoy the most .
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