North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Extension a ‘shed effort’, men say
The North Shore Men’s Shed was getting so crowded, it needed to be extended.
Member David Wardlaw says it was getting to point where he thinks people were stopping coming.
‘‘Now we’ve probably doubled our work bench space. We’ve uncluttered the site and made it safer and easier to use.’’
The shed is one of many around the country that offer a space for men to share skills and work on tasks.
But Wardlaw says the shed is more than a place to work on projects.
‘‘It’s a mental health initiative,’’ Wardlaw says.
‘‘Retirement can be a pretty rough thing. You go from being active to just twiddling your thumbs.’’
It took one year to complete the $100,000 project and most of the money came from grants.
Member Dave Whiting says the extension was a ‘‘shed effort’’, with members putting in batts, moving gear and helping where they could.
The added space has been converted into a dedicated area for engineering and welding.
North Shore Men’s Shed first opened in April 2013 and costs about $20,000 a year to run.
Members range from their 20s to their 70s and do a lot of community projects, such as nesting boxes and items for schools.