The swish of paint brushes and hum of sanders were just background noise to the companionable chat at the Motueka Menz Shed last week, where about 20 members gathered to work on personal and community-based projects.
Menz Sheds started in Australia in the 1980s, as a way of connecting men who were socially isolated.
“This was one way of addressing that – bringing them together for a common purpose, just to meet up and talk,” Motueka Menz Shed chairperson Ian Davey says.
“It’s given me a place in the community,” one member stated simply.
Motueka’s Menz Shed began almost 12 years ago, initially operating out of a space by the recreation centre before a permanent premises was found at Marchwood Park several years later. It has 42 members, including – unusually for the Menz Shed model – three women.
Since its inception, the group has been quietly involved with dozens of projects, many of which involve some level of carpentry or engineering.
“We give The Repair Shop a run for its money,” someone laughs.
Sometimes the group is tasked with repairs, such as keeping the artist-designed seats in the main street in good repair. Sometimes they are asked to help with projects for community groups, such as creating display stands for the Motueka Art Group.
The Christmas Parade’s refurbished Santa sleigh is one of their achievements, as are the hexagonal picnic tables at Memorial Park. They also make and sell penguin nesting boxes and predator traps to support groups like Friends of Flora with their work.
Motueka High School now has “the most substantial picnic tables in the country”, reckons one member who helped with the endeavor.
An ongoing project has been sanding back, repairing and revarnishing 12 wooden doors at Memorial Hall. State Cinema’s Mark Wentworth, who assists with many local productions there, contacting The Guardian about the group’s craftmanship and dedication to both this project and the many others that they have undertaken.
Payment for these projects is charged on a sliding scale, depending on what is involved and who is asking.
“We need to make a little bit of money for the club,” Ian explains.
The charges are nominal however - charities and community groups might be lucky enough to get assistance for the cost of the materials. Members of the public who would like help with repairs or simple projects are welcome to drop into the Menz Shed during opening hours, where they may be lucky enough to have a dozen practical heads offering solutions.
Most members are retirees, but Ian says that there are no age limits – upper or lower – for the Menz Shed, and you don’t have to have a practical background to become a member.
“A side aspect, almost, is what you learn. Everybody has got all sorts of different skills,” member Tony Small says.
That’s a lot of pooled resources, as Ian points out.
“When there’s a problem, there’s probably 20 different ideas.”
Ian says they are aware that some people are not as capable as they used to be, but they are just as welcome to come along for a cup of tea.
Members are encouraged to bring their own projects to work on, as well as getting involved in the group projects.
The Menz Shed meets on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9am-12pm, with the jug going on at about 10am for a cuppa.
