What is a Men’s Shed?

The modern Men’s Shed is an updated version of the shed in the backyard that has long been a part of Australian culture. Men’s Sheds are springing up all around Australia. If you look inside one you might see a number of men restoring furniture, or bicycles for a local school, maybe making bird nesting boxes or fixing lawn mowers or making toys for disadvantaged kids. You might also see a few young men working with the older men learning new skills and maybe also learning something about life from the men they work with. You will see a few tea and coffee cups and a comfortable area where men can sit and talk. You will probably also see an area where men can learn different skills, such as cooking for themselves or they can learn how to contact their families by computer.

So what is so special about this new kind of Men’s Shed? Most men have learned from our culture that they don’t talk about feelings and emotions. There has been little encouragement for men to take an interest in their own health and wellbeing. Unlike women, most men are reluctant to talk about their emotions and that means they don’t usually ask for help. Probably because of this many men are less healthy than women, they drink more, take more risks and they suffer more from isolation, loneliness and depression. Relationship breakdown, retrenchment or early retirement from a job, loss of children following divorce, physical or mental illness are just some of the problems that men find it hard to deal with on their own. Self medicating at the local is not the answer.

Good health is based on many factors including feeling good about yourself, being productive and valuable to your community, connecting to friends and maintaining an active body and active mind. Becoming a member of a Men’s Shed gives men that safe and busy environment where he can find many of these things in an atmosphere of old fashioned mateship. And, importantly, there is no pressure. Men can just come and have a yarn and a cuppa if that is all they are looking for.

Members of Men’s Sheds come from all walks of life – the bond that unites them is that they are men with time on their hands and they would like something meaningful to do with that time.

A good Men’s Shed has a coordinator who has both the technical and social skills to develop a Safe and happy environment where men are welcome to a project of their choice in their own time and where the only “must” is to observe safe working practices. All done in a spirit of mateship.

Because men don’t make a fuss about their problems, these problems have been consistently ignored or swept under the mat by both our health system and society. It’s time for a change and the Men’s Shed movement is one of the most powerful tools we have in helping men once again to become valued and valuable members of our community. Come and see for yourself. We are at Old Petrie Town, Dayboro Road, Petrie.

Contact Sal (Secretary) 3261 2323 or Derek (Shed Manager) 3285 3361.

Interview with Sal Barbagello of Pine Rivers Men’s Shed:

I had a wonderful opportunity to talk with the amazingly energetic and wonderfully community spirited Sal Barbagello earlier this week  about the Pine Rivers Men’s Shed  situated at Old Petrie Town.

Sal is a man committed to serving his community and is particularly interested in the nurturing and health of his fellow men. I posed a number of questions to Sal and these were his replies….

Ric. Why have a men’s shed?

Sal. They’re great for men. A lot of guys don’t prepare for retirement … they find after a little while they get a little lonely or they don’t have the space at home to do the things they like to do and they are missing some company.

Ric. So your shed is primarily for older guys or retirees Sal?

Sal. I would say mainly for guys who are retired but you can get younger people who are out of work, you know, they can get a bit depressed and that and they can come and do something meaningful with other fellows … or if you’ve got some person who can’t work through some sort of illness or disability they can come and spend some time with us  … have a yarn … have some mateship sorta thing.

Ric. What would happen if  I was to come along to your men’s shed tomorrow?

Sal. Usually what we do is take you round … introduce you to the guys … give you some leaflets which explain the men’s shed further … show ‘em around the place and give ‘em a good run down on what our aim is for the future, what we are going to have there and ask them to stick around for a cuppa tea.

Ric. What sort of activities do you get involved with Sal?

Sal. We are open to any sort of activities that guys want to do. Currently we are doing some woodwork … we’ve been making some nesting boxes for one group … we’ve fixed a couple of community things up … we are doing some work for a ‘not for profit’ group who work with young people and the Scouts have approached us to do some work for them. We are prepared to make toys for disadvantaged and sick and also make things for ourselves and to make things which will help us with a little bit of funding. We have groups who are interested in doing woodwork, metalwork, photography and we are setting up computers for guys who want to learn about computing.  We have a lot of books and we are going to have a library … so guys will be able to come along read a book, have a game of darts or drafts. If people come up with other meaningful activities to do they are welcome.

Ric. So it sounds like your men’s shed is not just a place where guys knock nails in and drill holes in timber.

Sal. Exactly and more importantly it’s a drop in centre if blokes want to pop in and have a cup of tea … there’re more than welcome.

Ric. Do you guys go out to get your work, like with the toys and the nesting boxes and the Scout thing?

Sal. No they come to us. We get out there into the community. We put out a lot of  brochures and the word spreads and we get a lot of support from the Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Centre and Ms O’Neil, the Labor member for Kallangur.

Ric. So Sal, if someone wanted to start a shed how would they go about it?

Sal. If they want to start a shed they are better off going to a shed that is operating. We got a lot of support from the Australian Men’s Shed Association. They’ve got a booklet which outlines how to start a shed.

Ric. Do sheds have their own flavour Sal?

Sal. Yep. Some do. Generally though the fact behind all of them is the health and well being of all men. We are starting a list of speakers to talk about health and various things like that. We’ve got brochures from people like beyondblue and other organisations like that regarding men’s health, so we are giving men’s health a pretty big push. And I gotta say the biggest supporters we have are the wives and partners who get to know about us and they bring the men along. That’s how a lot of them get started.

Ric. So the blokes are brought along …

Sal. No, no. They get dropped off for the day (laughing), and we are going to have some functions where they can bring them along to and if we have a speaker where it would be good for both we will ask partners to come along. We support the whole concept, not just men.

Ric. You’re not just a men’s club then.

Sal. No.  Well, we would like men to have some time on their own because that is when they tend to talk to each other and  .. if they need to sorta let off a bit off steam or get something off their chests there is a better chance they will do it side by side working on something. (go to http://menaregood.com/vid2.html for more evidence of this male thing).  We would like the majority of their time to be with other men and have the opportunity to share a bit of friendship and camaraderie with other guys but we wouldn’t shut out the partners all together.

Ric. You’re like a support group in a way.

Sal. Yeh. In a way. We’re supporting men to be healthier both physically and emotionally by getting men together where they can do a bit of communicatin’.

Ric. When do you meet?

Sal. We are currently meeting Mondays from 9am to 1or 2pm and Wednesdays from 9am to sometimes about 3pm at Old Petrie Town. Sometimes we have a pie run for lunch or at times we bring our own. We like to break for a fairly long cuppa tea in the morning and have a yarn and the same at lunch time. We don’t sorta work up a sweat the whole day (laughing). We do like to have a break and a yarn. A lot doesn’t get done but we have a good time.

Ric. Fantastic Sal. What you’re doing sounds real healthy and goes a long way to satisfying men’s needs and therefore the needs of our community.

Sal. Definitely! We’ve got 58 members at present and at the rate we are growing, in the next couple of years we will have at least 150 I reckon.

Ric. Thanks for your time Sal. Great work you guys are doin’.

This is a shortened version of the whole interview. Sal talked of the administrative structure, funding avenues, and the varied expertise of the members as well. If you would like further information get a hold of one of their brochures or Sal (3261 2323) and Derek (3285 3361) would be pleased to talk with you. They also have a great blogsite which detail their activities which is worth checking out  …  http://pineriversmensshedinc.blogspot.com/2009/10/community-expo-at-kallangur-community.html

Pine Rivers Men’s Shed Statement of Purpose

Our Vision: Well-adjusted men with a sense of well-being connecting with each other.

Our Mission: supporting men, young and old by:
* Doing meaningful activities (eg woodwork, metalwork, computer training etc)
* Learning, mentoring, and
* Fellowship.
Our Values: In pursuing our vision we commit to the following Values:
* Honesty and Integrity in all we do,
* Supporting and respecting others,
* Compassion and Empathy,
* Sincerity in improving men’s health and well-being,
* Open to all,
* Reliability and Trustworthiness,
* Appreciation of contribution and values of others,
* Co-operation and goodwill with other Men’s Sheds,
* Foster recycling.

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Sunnybank RSL Community Drop In Centre

Every Aussie Bloke Needs a Shed.

Every community group knows that there are many men and women out in their community who never make contact and are unlikely to darken their door when they have a problem.  They soldier on when they don’t need to and struggle with things on their own.

“It has become increasingly apparent to our Sub Branch over the last few years that there is a real need for a range of activities and services in our District that minimize social isolation and help men deal with health related issues along with general issues associated with ageing and adjustment to retirement” said Sunnybank RSL President Robert Lippiatt.

“Plus we have a growing number of men who are their wives full time carer and they are looking for opportunities to have male company during periods of respite care”.

The Sub Branch became aware of the national Mens Shed movement which aims to encourage community groups such as RSL Sub Branches, service clubs and churches to create safe places where people can learn skills, share ideas, and seek support and assistance.

This concept provided the Sub Branch with the opportunity to step out of its comfort zone and reach out into the community in a new and dynamic way.

“We grasped the nettle and decided to take the initiative and construct a Community Drop-in Support Centre and Mens Shed to provide a supportive environment primarily focussed on the needs of men”.

”After all there’s nothing new about Aussie men spending time in their backyard shed.  As the song says, “Every Aussie bloke needs a shed” said Robert.

With the support of the local community and the Brisbane City Council who have contributed funding towards the shed program the Sub Branch launched the Centre and Shed in May.

The Centre and Shed is open Monday to Friday except Public Holidays and offers a range of health, social, and skills based activities.  These are slowly being expanded as more resources are obtained.  The high point of the week is the Friday “Shedies” sausage sizzle.

The Sub Branch is currently consolidating stage one of the program and is working with Brisbane City Council staff to identify suitable land and/or buildings to establish stage two which is the trade centre.

In the mean time the “Shedies” will be commencing a number of small projects shortly under the new outside roofed area.  These include building racks for materials and tools, work benches and sourcing donations of suitable tools and equipment.

Planning is also underway to provide on site welfare and health support via suitably trained volunteers and visits by specialists from other organisations and support agencies including DVA and Centrelink on a regular basis.

“Our aim is do things that help men feel useful and contributing again to their communities, learning or sharing their skills, making friends, networking and accessing health information programs and opportunities “ said Robert Lippiatt.

Contact

Mr Robert Lippiatt                                                                   Mr John Taylor

President                                                                                 Member Services and Welfare

Email: rlippiatt@spcgroup.com.au Email: sunnybank.rsl@bigpond.com

Phone:             61 7 3272 5291                                               Phone: 61 7 3344 7423

Mobile:            0408 721 030                                                  Mobile: 0448 334 480

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Caboolture Men’s Group.

Monday night. 6.30 to 9pm.

Our group is a safe, confidential, respectful and nonjudgmental space where we feel ok to talk our truth.

We acknowledge and accept responsibility for our own wellbeing and behaviour.

We are a group of Men who are willing to learn from each other’s experience.

We recognise the value in relating to other Men on a deeper level than that associated with a social gathering.

We honour our individual commitment to meeting on a weekly basis to discuss issues arising in our lives.

Our group rules …..

  • CONFIDENTIALITY- What is said here stays here.
  • NO JUDGMENT OF OTHERS
  • RESPECT FOR OTHERS
  • COMMITMENT
  • PUNCTUALITY
  • OPENNESS AND HONESTY
  • RIGHT OF REFUSAL to talk
  • NO BULL S**T … a spade is a spade
  • STAY ON FOCUS … and equal time 4 all
  • NO INTERUPTION
  • NO BLAMING … WE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR & OWNERSHIP OF OUR OWN STUFF
  • NO COLLUSION
  • BE A CHAMPION
  • HAVE FUN

Each member of the group will take ownership of the rules and undertake a commitment to honouring them.

For more info. ring  Ric on 54999552   mob. 0418 298 506

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Men Supporting Men – “Empowerment through trust and integrity” Caboolture.

  • The group commenced in July 2004 and was incorporated on 16th November 2005.
  • Men, 18 and older, are welcome.
  • The group meets at the Caboolture Neighbourhood Centre.

Purpose of the group

  • To empower men to become more self aware in a confidential and supportive environment.
  • To enable the sharing of experiences without judgement.
  • To provide emotional support.
  • To facilitate personal development.
  • To foster social networking.
  • When we convene
  • Every Thursday night 6:45pm to 10:00pm.  Caboolture Neighbourhood Centre, 9 George Street, Caboolture.

What we do on the night

  • Structured gatherings in a safe and welcoming environment.
  • At the meeting men share and discuss personal and life issues in a confidential environment.  On some occasions there is urgency for some men who have reached a crisis point and the group supports the individual in dealing with his specifically identified issue.
  • The meetings are professionally run by experienced facilitators who provide their services free of charge.  All men are offered the opportunity to talk and share experiences and work through life issues of a physical, emotional, intellectual or spiritual nature.
  • Ongoing support is available to members in addition to weekly meetings.
  • Professional guest speakers visit the group by invitation.  These professionals provide education regarding common areas of need.  Examples include health professionals who speak on issues such as men’s health, dietary needs and mental health.

Rituals

  • Traditional rituals from a variety of indigenous cultures are used in preparation for the evening.  These include smudging, drumming and a sensei challenge.

What we do socially

  • There are approximately 6 events a year where the group meets on a social basis.  Family members and friends are welcome at these activities.  Typical events include barbecues, movies and picnics.
  • Fundraising to support the group.

Rules

  • “What I see here, what I hear here, when I leave here, I let it stay here.”

Why join our group?

  • Confidential sharing of experiences
  • Genuine emotional support
  • Personal development
  • Self awareness.

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