Men's Shed
Sea Lake Neighbourhood House was successful in obtaining a funding boost from Rural and Regional grants program, Seeds of Renewal, for the Sea Lake Men's Shed.
Funded by the ANZ and independently administered by the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR), Seeds of Renewalhas provided a $5000 cheque to the Sea Lake Men's Shed to assist them with purchasing tools and equipment for the men to use at the shed on their projects. FRRR received 544 applications this year for the Seeds of Renewal Program and the Sea Lake Men's Shed was one of sixty successful projects to receive funding with the intention of assisting local communities' wellbeing and growth.
The Sea Lake Men's Shed has also been fortunate to receive another small grant of $1000 to be used for buying tools from Regional One Credit Union. Each member of the men's shed will now complete a wish list for tools they think they will need for the shed, and will work their way down the list.
The Men's Shed concept, originally a place to keep retired men busy and help them socialise with friends, has fast become one of the country's most successful projects. Men's Sheds are a place where men of all ages can meet and share a variety of tools, pursue their interest in pastimes and hobbies, spend time with other blokes with similar interests, learn new skills, and keep old skills honed working on community projects of personal interest.
The idea of a Men's Shed in Sea Lake has been gaining momentum and in August, a group of men came together to discuss the potential of initiating a Men's Shed project in Sea Lake. Some preliminary work had been undertaken by Sea Lake Neighbourhood House, Advance Sea Lake Inc and Sea Lake & District Health Service to determine the need for a Men's Shed, and the high level of interest confirmed that Sea lake was ready to join the "shed culture." A leadership committee was established at the meeting and the men have been busy acquiring more men for the shed. The actual location of the shed is still being negotiated and will be dependent upon certain requirements being met, but the outcome will be decided shortly.
Interested men recently undertook a bus trip visiting sheds at Wycheproof, Charlton and Donald to get a better feel of what works at some sheds and what doesn't. It will provide them with some great ideas for how to set up their own shed and what they want to do.
For more information about the Sea Lake Men's Shed, contact Kellie Matthews on 0429781268.