Menz Shed plan for Mount Maunganui

From left, Keith Dickson, Jim Gibson, Jim Culley, Eddie Antrobus and Lionel Smith want to set up a Menz Shed in Mount Maunganui. Photo: Rosie Dawson-Hewes

A man's shed is a sacred space, but for a group of retirees in Mount Maunganui, it's also hopefully a shared space to help the wider community.

A group of about 10 blokes want to create a new Menz Shed in Mount Maunganui.

Organiser Keith Dickson says they've already held a few meetings, but are looking for more members before they find a dedicated shed space to become part of the national Menz Shed organisation.

"A bunch of guys will get together, form a trust or society," he says.

"Then you get yourself a shed and you tell the people that you're looking for donations of surplus tools and machinery.

"You then make or repair stuff, either for yourself to take home, for the collective, to sell maybe at a craft market or at the back door to help with the overheads or costs of running the place, or you can make it for other charitable organisations."

For example, he says they could build planter boxes for community gardens or playground equipment for local non-profit kindergartens.

Keith says it's about creativity and comradeship, as well as building things.

"There's a lot of guys at home... they've retired and they want to share their stories and knowledge."

He says while there'll be a lot of individuals who benefit from the Shed, their real aim is to benefit the wider community.

"[It's not] a place to sit round and drink coffee, smoke and put Pirelli calendars on the wall," he says.

"It is good to know that there's going to be something for us to do for the community," he says.

Keith says the Men's Shed at the Historic Village in 17th Ave is too far for many of the local Mount blokes to travel.

He says a space in central Mount Maunganui would be ideal as there are so many apartments in the area.

"It would be really good if they could just drive round the corner, or walk or catch the bus to the shed."

The group already has a bandsaw, a lathe and a bench saw, but need somewhere to store them.

All the details around where and when the shed will open and other governing rules will be decided once they have a core group of members.

- Anybody interested in becoming involved, in any way, such as being a sponsor or a donor, being an active member or helping with the administration, should ring Keith Dickson on 021 170 2394.