If the idea of a men’s shed is to give older males the chance to learn new skills, de-stress, enjoy others’ company, and help the community, then Kendall’s incarnation must be the pin-up model.
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Like most things, there is a rejoinder, according to shed vice president Keith O’Connor and co-ordinator John Haldare.
“It also helps that you like taking the mickey out of someone too. And often,” the pair say.
With 80 members and catering for 40 regulars each Tuesday and Thursday, the men’s shed has been built off tremendous local support through donations – Grant Page donated the initial large shed – through to the Kendall Op Shop and just everyday people.
The genesis for this shed was at a 2009 meeting of the then Kendall Futures Committee, Mr Haldare said.
“There was a need for this kind of thing,” Mr Haldare said.
“Grant (Page) donated the entire shed, but it did take us a few days to actually get the thing up while Thiess Construction donated the concrete for the slab.
“Everything you see is donated and we don’t owe a cent to anyone.
“Even on the day we officially opened, (the then mayor) Peter Besseling was giving his speech and a bloke pulled up with a planer and a drop saw he wanted to donate. So the official opening stopped and Peter even helped carry the stuff into the shed.”
While most men’s shed have developed their own particular brand of camaraderie, there is an underlying value in bloke’s getting together, Mr O’Connor said.
“You cannot overstate how important it is for blokes to be able to get-together and unwind. We are blokes who want to have a bit of fun, tinkering with tools, building stuff, learning new skills,” he said.
“It can be very beneficial for your mental state to have a place like this where you can learn new skills, be as involved as you like but just enjoy some time together.
“We just hang out, have fun and look out for each other.
“You also have to like to take the piss out of everyone and anyone. That really is the best part.
“Like the day we were building the shed. It took 12 blokes an entire day to put one rafter – just one rafter – and they had a ball all day. They all thought they were really busy.”
Kendall Men’s Shed has built barbeques for schools, the dolphin chair at Laurieton, picnic tables for the local pre-school and schools, sponsored breakfasts for school children and constructed grandstands for the tennis courts.
Mr Haldare emphasised the tremendous support the shed receives from the Kendall Op Shop while the wider community continues to make donations on a regular basis.
“It’s a community thing. We help each out. The op shop is the life blood of the community,” he said.
“As the saying goes, if you want something done in Kendall, you just tell the community they can’t have it.
“I can guarantee you, this community will band together and make it happen.”
The Kendall Men’s Shed annual meeting is on Tuesday July 4 at their Kendall Showground rooms.
The shed is open Tuesdays from 8.30am until 3pm and 8.30am until 1pm on Thursdays.
In August, the men’s shed will help at the American Motor Cycle Club rally at the showground.