Building Community - not just things
First published Shed Chatter winter edition 2024
The blokes at the Burpengary and District Men’s Shed are ready to lend a helping hand to worthy causes.
When Tarnya from Bay View Kindergarten reached out seeking assistance to replace their worn-out storage units, the Shedders were quick to respond. Shed President Rodney Hansen and Shedder Peter Rocca visited the kindergarten bright and early one morning to see how they could help. They chatted with Tarnya to get an idea of what the Kindy needed, and amidst the cheerful chaos of kids at play, they carefully measured the space and sketched plans for new storage units.
Shedders Frank, Bob, and Peter then took on the challenge of creating functional yet sturdy storage spaces that provide a place for kids to store bags, books, and valuables, along with space underneath for shoe storage. Marine ply was used for its durability and then stained for extra strength, making sure it would stand the test of time. The project was recently completed with Shedders giving up a Saturday to remove the old units and install the new ones.
Rebecca from the Bay View Kindergarten commented, “The Bayview Community are completely in love with the new lockers. The children love how much space they now have, and it makes our bag area a lot tidier. A huge thanks to the Mens Shed for the wonderful new lockers.”
In another recent community project, the Shed was approached to create a little Toy Library for the Goodstart Early Learning Dakabin. Shedder Michael spearheaded the initiative, crafting a magical little library for the kids to enjoy. Aimee from Good Start commented,
“The whole process from commencement to completion was amazing. We wanted to bring a little bit of community into our centre through the creation of a book library, which allows our community to improve their literacy levels by accessing and reading books that they might not have had access to previously.”
“When collecting the book library from the Men’s Shed, I received the royal treatment with a tour of the facilities and had some great conversations with some of the men about the projects that they were currently working on. Our centre will continue to support the Men’s Shed and hope to build up a great little network”.
Other recently completed projects include Buddy Seats for Deception Bay State School and garden seating/border around a tree at Dakabin State School. This project took a few visits to the site during school holidays for the blokes to dig all the holes, install the posts, cut the sleepers and bolt it all together. We think the students will enjoy the results.
The Shed is certainly never at a loss for projects –the project board is overflowing; according to Shed President Rodney, “Those that want a project can easily find one, and those that don’t can find a cuppa and an ear to listen.” For the blokes at the Shed, these projects were a labour of love, a chance to use their skills for a good cause. Shed President Rodney believes that “Ultimately, it’s not just about repairing and building things - it’s about building connections, fostering community spirit, and leaving a lasting legacy of generosity and goodwill”, he said.
Photo left: Toy library for Good Start Day Care Centre. Photo centre: Garden seating for Dakabin State School. Photo right: Storage units for Bay View Kindergarten.
