Men’s shed of fun

By Kath Gannaway
ARM wrestling isn’t an official activity at Healesville’s Men’s Shed, but … boys will be boys!
First impressions of the shed are of a typical workshop – the smell of fresh-cut timber, saws buzzing and the measured thump as another nail is driven to its destiny … or another thumb becomes a trophy!
It’s fun in the traditional model of what the men happily describe as “secret men’s business”.
You don’t have to hang around for long, however, to get a glimpse of the other side of life at the shed – an impromptu arm wrestle, a casual offer of help or advice on a job, or pumping up the electric billy for a cuppa and a chat around the not too tidy round table.
(A female insight into a bit of not so secret men’s business! When it comes to chocolate biscuits, it’s equal opportunity all the way at the Men’s Shed.)
Co-ordinators Alan Jones and “Ollie” Oliver really didn’t know what to expect when the shed opened its doors the week after Black Saturday. “We really weren’t sure if we were going to get any, or heaps of men,” Ollie said.
They had 14 men turn up and have had a steady roll-up of eight or nine ever since.
The focus is on woodwork, but with access to the mechanical workshop next door, there is the opportunity to do other types of projects.
For some, Ollie said, it’s just about sitting, chatting and generally hanging out with cups of coffee.
If anyone has a particular project they want to do, they can take it along and work on it at the shed.
Men’s health is also a focus.
“The shed is mainly a catalyst to get men together to talk about what’s happening in their lives,” he said.
For the shed to meet its aim of becoming sustainable, Alan said there was a need to get more skilled people in the mix and men of any age were welcome.
As with many planned events, the official opening of the Healesville Men’s Shed was put on hold in February.
It seemed timely, six months on, to rectify that and on Wednesday, 2 September the Shed will be officially opened as part of an open day between 10am and 3pm.
The official program starts at 11am and will include talks by Peter Harris who has set up a number of Men’s Sheds around Victoria, Alan Jones and a representative of the Living and Learning Centre which auspices the program.
There will be live music, demonstrations in the shed and a light lunch … no official word at this stage as to whether arm-wrestling, or chocolate biscuits, are included.
With or without what some might consider those two essential components, the day will provide a great opportunity to see what men’s sheds are all about.