SHEDDERS from across the country met for a yarn at the Australian Men’s Shed Association’s conference in Newcastle in October.
The conference, which attracted 380 delegates from Australia and New Zealand, provided a platform for big ideas, announcements and launches.
This included the launch of the Spanner in the Works initiative. a website geared towards improving men’s health.
Association chief executive David Helmers said the website is a centralised platform for all areas of men’s health. It has information from 52 websites and associated links.
The website compares the body to a machine or car, and encourages men to get a “service” done on their bodies.
Major sponsor of the conference, Cabot’s, announced an expansion of its partnership with men’s sheds, including a donation of 10,000 litres of wood treatment products each year.
Alzheimer’s Australia launched a new manual on supporting men in sheds with dementia.
Mr Helmers said there were now 938 men’s sheds in Australia – “That’s 85 more than MacDonald’s restaurants”.
The idea of blokes having a yarn while they work in the shed is typically Australian.
But the concept of the men’s shed is taking off globally.
There are now more than 600 sheds outside Australia, including 290 in Ireland, who were represented at the conference by Irish Men’s Shed Association chief executive Barry Sheridan and president John Evoy.
Mr Sheridan said the Irish sheds were similar to the Australian models.
He said a shed in Limerick made traditional Irish boats, while the Blanchardstown shed had a sign saying 'Some days we fix things, some days we talk, some days we do nothing. But every day we drink tea'.
“It shows just how transferable the shed is across countries,” Mr Sheridan said.
The Irish body is now working towards a stronger partnership with Australia.
“We’re looking for sheds over here to twin with sheds in Ireland,” Mr Sheridan said.
