Sheds good for health

THE Healesville Men’s Shed was officially opened last week with co-ordinator Alan Jones declaring the Australian Men’s Shed movement the largest men’s health organisation in Australia.
Mr Jones said the Men’s Shed opened on the Monday after Black Saturday.
“It was felt it was not the right time to celebrate an opening so we left it until now and we hope people will enjoy the festivities,” he said.
He said the first seven months had been a great experience.
“On that first Monday three men turned up and since then we have about 16 men on our books and about six to eight men at every session. We started opening up on Wednesdays and both sessions have proved successful, so much so that we are extending the opening hours from 10am to 4pm,” he said. “Sometimes, it’s even hard to send people home at 4pm,” he added.
He said the shed was more than a place to do woodwork. “It is a place where men can gather together safely, talk about man things and just enjoy the shed environment in a constructive way,” he said.
Guest speaker Peter Harris from Glen Park Community Centre spoke on the place of Men’s Sheds in communities and of their relevance as places where men could feel comfortable to get information about, or talk about, health issues.
He said men were 30 years behind women in setting up community spaces and in actively addressing men’s health issues.
“Women have had things like pink ribbon day and it is only now that we’re starting to look at men’s health in the same way. I want to see a lot of moustaches in the Men’s Shed in Movember,” he said alluding to the November campaign, which addresses men’s health issues including prostate cancer and mental health.
“Men die five years younger than women and it doesn’t need to be that way,” he said. “One of the real reasons is that men don’t talk about their health, men don’t visit GPs and when they do it’s only when they are really sick,” he said.
He said the same men who wouldn’t dream of missing a service on their car, never go to a GP for a check up.
“You can’t drive your car once your’re dead,” he said driving home the message.
The Healesville Men’s Shed at 1 Badger Creek Road is a Community 3777 project. Phone 5962 5982 for details, or just drop in.