Breathing new life into people and projects at Hume Men’s Shed
Published on 23 June 2023
Men’s Sheds have been around for a long time, operating in Australia as far back as the late 1970’s to give men an opportunity to talk, share and work in a typical male environment – the shed.
The idea of what role a man plays in family, society and culture has changed dramatically since then, but the needs remain the same; and the Men’s Shed movement continues to grow to keep up.
Men’s Sheds are now an international network, and a place for men to feel active, social, and part of the community.
The Hume Men’s Shed Craigieburn has been operating for more than 15 years, and is always creating new opportunities to help its members through helping others.
President Bruce Triptree became involved in the Craigieburn Shed 11 years ago after learning about it at a BBQ being held to interest new members and speaks highly of the benefits it provides.
“I’ve made a lot of friends, it’s good for mental health. You can make things and speak to people.”
While these simple ideas are the Men’s Shed in a nutshell, digging a little deeper reveals some inspiring achievements.
Bruce is 59 and not retired himself, but he talks of the men who feel left behind or left out of society finding a new lease on life through the program.
“There are two areas that make up why people are there - one for people who still want to be active, and the other is for people to be social. It’s either to work or chat.
“If it wasn’t for men’s sheds most would be sitting in front of the TV depressed because we’ve got nowhere to go. It's the only place men that are retired or have had an accident can go and still contribute to the community,” he says.
The Hume Men’s Shed Craigieburn recently found a unique way to go about giving back to their community by salvaging a special piece of the area from Hume City Council’s Craigieburn Road widening project.
“Seeing the State Government has stopped logging of hard wood, it was suggested we could use some of the trees from the project and give back to Council,” Bruce recalls.
The Shed went on to use the wood for community woodworking projects, including making a table that now sits in the foyer of the council building in Broadmeadows with special significance.
“Council picked the trees out and gave them to the Men’s Shed to be milled (along with a $2,000 grant from Hume City Council). It's a part of Hume and it’s the last of the hard wood being logged in the state.”
Saying that men find it hard to connect with their feelings and make deep friendships may be old-fashioned, but in many cases it remains true.
The act of giving back to the community by working with their hands is a unique way for men to express themselves on a daily basis in creative ways.
For Hume, this includes hosting family nights and working with school aged children on Friday afternoons where everyone can build, create and connect, among other initiatives.
“Some people are disabled and so can’t do things like they used to. But here, one man made a little garden to take home. One guy with one leg made a table for himself at his level so his wheelchair can fit under,” Bruce says.
“I’ve been told by (one disabled Shed member) this is the only place he has friends. It's really hard for men to find these relationships.”
If you’re looking to find a connection, or to simply get active and out of the house, speak to Hume City Council about joining a local Men’s Shed.