Shed power
MENZSHED CONFERENCE – 27-29 APRIL
There’s something to be said for the power of numbers. It seems that sheddies will be an even more vital part of their communities in the future if sheer numbers are anything to go by. By 2020 there will be more New Zealanders over the age of 65 than under the age of 15. By 2036 this group will constitute 22 per cent of the population, as against 15 per cent today.
Menzshed members throughout New Zealand attending a recent conference heard how the growth in the senior population and extended life expectancy are redefining what it means to be old.
“We are all ageing. It matters to all of us that New Zealand is a place where we have the opportunity to age positively and well,” Diane Turner, director of the Office for Seniors, said in her opening address at the Menzshed New Zealand 2018 conference, held at Saint Kentigern College, Auckland, over 27–29 April.
More than 34 Men’s Sheds were represented at the conference, including one from Australia, and they covered a diversity of operations, activities, and membership.
A programme aimed at offering different perspectives on what members needed to be aware of when setting up and running successful sheds in communities included topics such as health and safety, the health and well-being of senior men, governance and management, and insurance.
There was plenty of time for questions and answers, swapping experiences, and learning about different initiatives run by enthusiastic groups of sheddies, including a tools-for-schools project and a predator traps programme.
The keynote address by Dr Phil Wood, chief advisor to the Ministry of Health, on the health and well-being of senior men was particularly pertinent for a conference that had the theme of Sheds and Sheddies Making a Difference.
Diane Turner addressed the need for communities to be aware and cater for the needs of a growing senior population. She said that New Zealand has joined the World Health Organization (WHO) global network for creating age-friendly communities, which was a very positive step in considering the needs of seniors and encouraging social participation.
Adopted in 2015, the WHO model has scope across eight domains: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, social respect and inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information, and community and health services. Consultation and workshops are being held throughout New Zealand aimed at drafting new strategy, which will be launched mid 2019.
But the highlight of the conference was the opportunity to network with like-minded people, swap tips, and share anecdotes.
It was all capped off with visits to three Men’s Sheds — at Auckland East, in Manurewa, and on the North Shore.
Men’s Sheds aim to keep men connected and involved through community-driven initiatives, and the conference was testament to how successful they have been in achieving this.