Community Men’s Sheds Are Public Men’s Business

The Fremantle Men’s Community Shed had its genesis 20 years ago this February.

It has been an amazing adventure since 12 guys sat around at the Aubergine Café to discuss the idea of establishing of a Shed where men could meet, greet and make stuff!

From humble beginnings, in the old asbestos clad Fremantle Racing Pigeon Club building in White Gum Valley, to a sparkling new purpose built Shed in Beaconsfield, we now have a Community facility of 350 members (75 being female), who share the wonders of the Shed.

Since day one we have had the mantra to “Add Value to Our Community” and I am really proud to say that successive Management Committees have never wavered from this goal.

The Shed has always had a “Can do” mentality. Challenges are met with “How can we make it happen?”, rather than “It’s too hard, let’s forget it!” approach.

Fremantle Men’s Community Shed, as the first such metropolitan beast in Western Australia, has been a model for many Sheds State-wide.

Many came to us to see just what it was all about and left with a vision for their own community.

There are over 1200 nationally and the concept has spread to England, Scotland, Ireland New Zealand and now USA.

It never ceases to amaze me how therapeutic making something out of a lump of wood or a piece of metal can be for many men and now of course women.

It’s almost that primal connection with nature and natural timber.

At the Freo Men’s Community Shed I have witnessed on numerous, in fact countless, occasions men (and now women) arrive with a really sour attitude (a chip on their shoulder) … (pardon the pun).

A few minutes into a project, smelling the sawdust, whittling away and the cloud seems to lift.

Often as not, working alongside someone a few snippets about the source of the guy’s mood gets shared.

Sheds are a comfortable place for men (and now women), to be.

They provide an atmosphere where it is easy to share—and that may start with sharing skills and knowledge—passing info onto each other—but it develops a “trust bond” which makes talking with a mate about “real stuff” easier.

The real plus in “Shedland” is that you realise you are not unique and the problem you are facing be it with a relationship, health matter or financial crisis. Someone at the Shed will have experienced it or is going through something similar.

The experienced ones are living examples that “you can get through this”. This is such an important point when you are staring into a black hole.

In Western Australia and Nationally, Men’s Community Sheds have established partnerships with numerous health and wellbeing support organisations. Men’s helpline, Beyond Blue, Black Dog Ride, Prostrate Cancer Foundation of Australia and Wheat Belt Mens Health are just a few examples. The list grows steadily.

All of these organisations have quickly realised that the “Shed” is our contemporary, communal men’s space meeting place, (something most of indigenous cultures have).
All sorts of positive health and wellbeing outcomes are possible. Where else can you get groups of men coming together?

This was brought home to me so starkly when a “sheddie” related this story.
He had found the Community Men’s shed by chance having seen an article in the local paper. Coming off a failed business, broken marriage and isolation from his kids he was truly a broken man with little vision about a way forward.

My close mate and co- conspirator in establishing the Shed, Alan Gowland, showed him around the workshop and suggested he maybe make a breadboard which he undertook to do. A few hours later after sawing and much sandpapering our man was the proud owner of a beautiful jarrah breadboard. Some months later when his life showed signs of getting back on track he came to me with the breadboard and confided that this board saved his life. He then explained he felt suicidal when he came to the shed and this was the first time for a long period he had achieved something positive- a slither of success to build on.

The act of sandpapering a piece of wood has a cathartic effect – giving one a chance to think. I reckon it’s the workshop equivalent of “horizon gazing”.

In my 20 years’ connection with the Men’s Sheds, not only in Western Australia but nationally I have heard many stories of a similar vein. The Shed’s capacity to link men with men cannot be underestimated—the amount of communication at all levels, guy’s participation in the shed astounds me.

At the Freo Men’s Shed we had an old butcher’s block (that the guys sit around. Ritual coffee and chats are a regular feature – if it could talk it would have had some stories to tell.

The value to families and the Community in having a place for men to share some ‘bloke’ space is becoming widely recognised. We have women who pay their partners annual membership fee as a Christmas or birthday present. I wonder who gets the greatest gift!

Local Councils are increasingly getting behind Community Sheds with funding or sponsorship support for a variety of things—equipment, grants, funding events.

The positive impact f Men’s Community Sheds is well documented and Governments- Federal, State and Local are now keen supporters. None more genuinely than the City of Fremantle, who saw the value added a Community Shed could bring, long before most levels of Government knew what the beast was.

The Western Australia Governor, His Excellency the Honourable Chris Dawson APM, is the Patron of the Men’s Sheds of WA Inc.

The matter of men’s health is another area where Men’s Sheds have a unique capacity to have a positive influence on reversing the dismal record of men have in looking after themselves medically. Sheds open the door for shared discussion—men encourage others to get down to their GP. Too many men ignore early warning signs of what can be a potentially life threatening disease. Got an ache or a pain? “Rub it with a brick”!

The percentage of men over 50 willing to have their prostrate checked for example is abysmal.
Prostate Cancer Foundation commenced a morning tea and information session “Blue September” program nationally so guys could come together and share information. I know men who have heeded the advice and now comfortably participate.

Similar initiatives from “Beyond Blue” and “Men’s Helpline” give men the shared experience of understanding their emotional state and an awareness of help options that are out there in the community.

Health Promotion is not the core business of MCSs but it sure figures prominently in what goes on there. Programs that are happening around the country range from healthy cooking, yoga, men’s walking groups, exercise groups, excursions and visits—it’s all ago in “Shedland”. I know a few guys who would sleep at the shed if there were stretcher beds available.

There are now over 180 Sheds in WA and more than 1000 nationally.

Groundbreaking as always, Freo Mens Shed opened its doors to women 10 years ago. This trend has been steadily being embraced by Sheds throughout WA and Nationally. It’s the fastest growing community movement in Australia

* By Bill Johnstone, Vice Patron Men’s Sheds of WA (Inc), Foundation President Fremantle Men’s Community Shed Inc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ If you’d like to COMMENT on this or any of our stories, don’t hesitate to email our Editor.

~ WHILE YOU’RE HERE –