Nambour Men’s Shed helps build skills and lift moods

Members of Nambour Men’s Shed are hammering home a vision of community inclusion by building strong bonds with a NDIS recipient who has a passion for woodwork.Luke, a long-term client of Lutheran Services’ Graceville Centre on the Sunshine Coast, relishes his weekly visits to the Men’s Shed where he is developing skills, confidence and making friends. Graceville’s Program Manager Ola Olubiyi said Luke, who lives in supported accommodation at the Graceville Centre, was thriving with support to cultivate his creative side.

“Luke has become a talented craftsman and it’s a joy to see how happy he is when he heads off every Thursday to the Nambour Men’s Shed with his support worker,’’ she said.

“He is very creative and loves working with his mentors at the Men’s Shed.’’

Luke said attending the Men’s Shed was a highlight of his week.

“I’m now building a timber and glass cabinet to store all the things I make. It will have a mirror inside and I’m going to put lights in it to make it more special,’’ he said.

“The two projects I finished at the Men’s Shed that I like most are a model Spitfire plane and my special saw that I painted.

“The guys at the Men’s Shed always show me what the next step is and then they let me do it myself.’’

Luke Fleming, Committee Member from the Nambour Men’s Shed, said Luke’s attendance had enriched the experience for all members.

“He gets involved in the design, acquiring materials, and construction of all his projects including a wooden table and four chairs he made,’’ he said.

“His current project is an ambitious one, a large cabinet using recycled timber, and he even designed some unique legs he plans to build.

“Luke’s always happy here, he knows everyone's name, talks with everyone and is a great member to have at the Men’s Shed.

“The other members love to help him with some of the machine work.’’

For more than 50 years, the Graceville Centre has provided disability and mental health services and supported living accommodation at its Nambour site.

“Our vision of inclusion and connection to the community is at the heart of what we do at Graceville,’’ Ms Olubiyi said.

“We provide seven tailored programs that allow our clients to set goals and achieve new skills while exploring opportunities to enhance their independence and live their best lives. Currently we support 140 clients from full-time care to outreach programs for people living independently.’’

The Graceville Centre is located at 5 Sydney Street, Nambour. For more information call 1800 960 433.

Nambour Men’s Shed is located at 10 Colless Lane, Nambour, contact (07) 5441 2527.