(From left): Men's Shed Whanganui members Wally Bell, Bevan Chilcott, Ivan Stick, Roy Brooks and Rob Pointon. Photo / Eva de Jong
(From left): Men's Shed Whanganui members Wally Bell, Bevan Chilcott, Ivan Stick, Roy Brooks and Rob Pointon. Photo / Eva de Jong
Men’s Shed Whanganui members want to build a lasting home on a piece of council-owned land, but they need the cash to pull it off.
The Men’s Shed concept launched in the Australian Outback as a way to strengthen the mental health of rural men struggling to cope with isolation.
The 55 Whanganui members, who include women, meet each week to work on hands-on community projects such as furniture restoration and woodwork.
In recent years, the charity has struggled to find a long-term home.
After shifting from the former UCOL complex to a sublease in the old Marist Football Club clubrooms in 2022, the Men’s Shed now has to form new plans due to the non-renewable lease running out in 2026.
“We did look at other premises to rent and it was just not going to happen because of high rents and accessibility.”
The new build has been quoted to cost $700,000-800,000 for a 42m-long by 15m-wide purpose-built shed.
The charity has 10% of the funds in the bank but will have to hunt to get the remaining amount from sponsorship and donors.
Pointon said due to the small size of the current space, they were having to turn away visitors who wanted to join.
“The physical area makes it unsafe for using the equipment, and when you’ve got so many people crowded around you can’t get the space needed to meet health and safety requirements.
“This bigger shed that we’re looking at will enable us to increase membership.”
Men’s Shed Whanganui president Bevan Chilcott said loneliness could be a real issue for people during retirement.
“Some of the guys who have lost their loved ones - they almost would like to live here. They love it so much.”
Manager Ivan Stick said for people who had worked all their lives, retirement could become a question of: Well, what now?
“You can’t sit in an armchair and drive that for all the rest of your life, else you expire rather quickly.”
Chilcott said people needed to have satisfactory hobbies during retirement and Men’s Shed offered a place to share their crafts with others.
However, it was also a place that welcomed people of any age and some younger tradespeople had enjoyed taking part in sessions.
Men’s Shed Whanganui funding organiser Wally Bell said although they had not secured the money yet, the building would give them a unique opportunity to grow.
“It blows you away when you see all these men coming together and so happy in their work, and it needs to be expanded I feel.”
Stick said finding funding for the new build was crucial.
“It’s not only for us old fellas - it’s for the new ones coming on, and if we can provide something for the future then we’ve done good.”
