Sheila's Shed plays fairy godmother for flood-affected students

Edgecumbe College students were loaned dresses for their school ball. Photo/Supplied

Anatomy dictated they couldn't be part of the Men's Shed so the mother and daughter team of Anne and Tracey Clarke formed the Sheila's Shed.

The Sheila's Shed became an incorporated society on April 28. Based in Kawerau but hoping to serve the wider Bay of Plenty, the intention of the Sheila's Shed is to provide people the opportunity of experimenting with a wide range of materials and equipment.

"My mum and I have always been craft people and, after I recently re-located back to Kawerau, we looked for craft places to visit," Tracey said.

"We didn't find the existing places entirely hospitable and were not able to join the Kawerau Men's Shed, so after six months of chatter and an equal amount of procrastination, we went ahead."

Currently operating from the founders' homes, a funding application has been submitted and, if successful, will allow the Sheila's Shed to set up shop in Kawerau's old Post Office building.

"To date, we have received funding for materials and equipment but our long-term goal is to be self-sustainable through subscription members."

The Clarkes hope people, not just "sheilas", will take advantage of proposed community programmes led by creative professionals, to learn new skills.

"We are aware some people are struggling to find work. Our aim is to teach these people new skills and also provide a place where they have access to materials and equipment to use those skills to create a product or products they may be able to sell," Tracey said.

"Following on from this, we are also hoping to establish a selling platform - like a market - which will add more community involvement.

"Mum and I had a range of industrial and domestic machines, we have had a lot of machines donated, and we are seeking funding to add more to what we have. We hope to add computers so people can undertake the design aspect of a product at the Sheila's Shed."

Since being established, the Sheila's Shed has already taken on two projects.

The first saw the Sheila's Shed, in co-operation with locals, Brother New Zealand and Singer New Zealand, replace sewing machines lost in the Edgecumbe flood. The second took things to a whole new level.

"At the presentation of the sewing machines, there was a discussion with one of the recipients about how many children from flood-affected families would be able to afford to attend the Edgecumbe College ball," Anne said. "So that night a message was sent out on our Facebook page asking for spare ball gowns."

The response was overwhelming and the Sheila's Shed is now the proud custodian of around 80 gowns.

Working with Edgecumbe College's Caterina Murphy and sewing tutor Miemie Vermeulen, the gowns were fitted and tweaked and, for a nominal fee, dry cleaned allowing at least a dozen girls to go to the July 28 ball.

"At the end of the day we want to teach skills to people who want to hold on to old traditions," Anne said. "We believe the disposable economy we live in can't sustain itself and we want the Sheila's Shed to be not only a creative hub, but also a place where people can learn to make life easier for themselves by learning new skills."

The Sheila's Shed will hold its first classes in October. Check out its Facebook page, Sheila's Shed NZ, for more information.