Caloundra Men’s Shed Essientials
Why
Access to Tools & Materials. Teach or Learn, Meet people. Have fun. Stay active, stay happy.
Cost
Membership is $60 per year (all members are then covered by the relevant insurance).. We are a non-profit, non-commercial community organisation.
Community
We help each other. The Community helps us. We contribute to and help the local community.
We welcome new Members
We are always seeking new members so if you are interested drop by or contct us to arrange a visit
- Why Join?
As a member of Caloundra’s new Men’s Shed you can engage in a wide range of activities that are creative, challenging and can provide value to our local community all in a safe environment. As we work together we enjoy the mateship and support of our fellow men, typically while working on personal projects or community support projects.
Sometimes we just solve the world’s issues while chatting over a tea or coffee in the sun in our wonderful bush parkland setting.
- Who we are
Caloundra’s new Men’s Shed is a non-profit, non-commercial community organisation providing a safe and friendly meeting place for men to work on projects in the company of other men.We are fully incorporated and affiliated with the Australian and Queensland Chapters of the Men’s Shed Association.
- Whate we do
Our 60+ members meet, socialise and undertake a range of meaningful and highly enjoyable projects (Personal, Men’s Shed or Community) and activities, at their own pace and in their own time with the advantage of guided supervision and great tools and resources. - What we don’t do
We do not generally do repairs or undertake projects for the general public, nor do we compete against commercial businesses. The Men’s Shed is not an alternative or replacement for professional tradespersons or other qualified craftsmen. The Men’s Shed is not a welfare shelter, nor is it an alternative or replacement for the services provided by appropriate health and medical professionals. - Community
A major objective of the Men’s Shed is to advance the health, wellbeing and social inclusion of all members through interest-based activities. We do this by welcoming men to meet and work on projects that are first and foremost personally satisfying and in many cases making an important contribution to the wider community.
- Where
We operate from two sheds:
1) Merridan Plains
2) the corner of Allen and Queen streets in Caloundra on a wonderful bush parkland site very generously provided by Caloundra City Council.
Examples of Projects
- Project 1
- Project 2
Men’s Shed History
Today there are over 960 located across Australia, with over 150,000 active members.[1] Men’s sheds can also be found in Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, Finland and Greece.
History
In Australia in the 1990s a number of issues were raised about men’s health. In Australian culture, there was little encouragement for men of all ages to socialize and discuss their feelings and wellbeing. This problem was identified at a men’s health conference in the mid-90s and plans were put in place to improve a number of aspects relating to men’s health.[2] The conference in question took place in 1995, and was the first national health conference dedicated to men in Australia. It was suggested that men’s sheds could help promote social interaction and reduce depression related illness in elderly men.[3] After the conference, a number of men’s sheds began to form across Australia.
Men’s sheds originated from the shed in a backyard scenario, where a man would go and carry out tasks, such as restoring furniture or fixing lawn mowers. The first men’s shed (by that name) was opened in Tongala, Victoria, Australia on July 26, 1998.[4] Named after its founder, Dick McGowan, the shed predates the Lane Cove Community Shed in New South Wales by just a few months, though both likely originated from ideas discussed at the National Rural Health Conference in 1995. Lane Cove Community Shed was opened in December 1998, and was founded for ‘shedless’ men, encouraging social activities friendships, while providing vital health information to its members. Since then a number of articles supporting men’s sheds have been published, stating they help increase the length and quality of life of elderly males.[5]
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 and internationally.
Not all Men’s Sheds are the same- if you looked inside you might see a number of men making furniture, perhaps restoring bicycles for a local school, making possum traps, fixing lawn mowers or making a cubby house for Child Care Centre to raffle. You might also see a few young men working with the older men obtaining new skills and learning something about life from the men with whom they work. You might see local elders making traditional weapons or designing arts and crafts. You will see tea-bags, coffee cups and a comfortable area where men can sit and talk. You will probably also see an area where men can learn to cook for themselves or how to contact their families by computer.
So what is so special about this new type of Men’s Shed?
Most men have learned from our culture that they don’t talk about feelings and emotions many do not take an interest in their own health and well-being. Unlike women, most men are reluctant to talk about their emotions and that means that they usually don’t ask for help. Probably because of this, many men are less healthy than women, drink more, take more risks and 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 may find difficult to deal with on their own.
Good health is based on many factors including feeling good about yourself, being productive, contributing to your community, connecting with friends and maintaining an active body and mind. Becoming a member of a Men’s Shed provides a safe and busy environment where men 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’re 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 would like something meaningful to do with that time.
A good Men’s Shed has a Management Committee that has developed a safe and happy environment where men are welcome to work on community projects, specific Men’s Shed projects or a project of their choice in their own time and where the only ‘must’ is to observe safe working practices….all in a spirit of mateship.
The Men’s Shed movement has now become one of the most powerful tools in addressing health and wellbeing and helping men to once again become valued and productive members of our community.