By Afraa Kori
While elderly men are disproportionately affected by loneliness, innovative programs like Bunurong’s Men Shed are offering hope and a lifeline.
The modern Men’s Shed is an updated version of the shed in the backyard that has long been part of Australian culture and is now springing across Australia.
Bunurong’s Men Shed vice president Tom Knox said the shed provides a safe space for men to feel comfortable opening up.
“So from a men’s shed point of view, it’s about health. We’re here for men, men’s health and men’s goodwill. Each one of us has had some either physical or mental disability in our time. I’ve had a heart job and just three months ago had a hip replacement. None of us are getting any younger,” he said.
“Nobody likes talking about mental health, but when we understand one another, we’re all honest and above board with everybody. We are friends as well as members of the Bunurong Men’s Shed and we help one another and we do things for one another.”
On a deeper level, the shed is building men, communities and strong marriages.
“I know a number of friends of mine who have been married for 30 to 40 years, and they’re lonely but they haven’t taken any account of how to overcome that. That’s where the men’s shed says, bring them all. We have ladies who are invited to functions that we run ourselves. We always take them out at Christmas time.
“Which man do you know that will ever tell you, I’m lonely? But we can find out if they are, and we work it accordingly. It’s unusual that anyone who has been here for more than three weeks is ever lonely. We are in contact with one another and that’s what we’re trying to do. I even make many phone calls to past members who are no longer in the shed.”
A team of 12 men meets at Bunurong Men’s Shed on Wednesday and Thursdays from 10am to 2pm.
If you looked inside one you might see a number of men restoring furniture, restoring bicycles for a local school, learning to take photographs, fixing lawn mowers or making a rocking horse. As well sitting in a nice comfortable area enjoying some refreshments and conversations.
Whether trained or not, there is always help at hand and individuals can proudly proclaim “I made it myself”.
These activities and programs have contributed to personal growth, camaraderie and good mental health among the 12 members.
Bunurong Men’s Shed also believes in serving and giving to the community. A membership of like-minded men who give freely of their time and skills, make life a little easier for others.
Secretary Ken Birch emphasised it’s a service towards men, not a community service.
“About eight to nine years ago we were raising funds for some machinery. I’ve got a deal to make 100 bookends for a company that wanted to make a presentation to their clients.
“We got the contract of making 100 bookends for about $7 each so that was $700. That was a great income for us, but it took us months. In the end, we thought it would be better to make $1000 with a Bunnings barbecue.”
“We are retired and we don’t want to go back to working. We are more of a men’s shed that will help you if you’ve got hobbies or you want something else. If you want to do 10 hours a week making something for the community, that’s the sort of thing that a lot of people say I’m not going to the shed today.”
Meanwhile the biggest challenge for men’s shed is the lack of membership.
“Covid has decimated many community organisations. We had 25 members before Covid and down to 12. The other men’s shed had over 100 members, they went down to 35 and they’re back up to 60. We have lost a lot of skills as a result of Covid and I lost a lot of strength in my hand just in the last six months,“ Mr Knox said.
“The average age in our men’s shed here is 75. Some died and the other thing too, we had a member go back to his hometown in Adelaide.Wives had to be cared for in all sorts of manner of things, as has happened in the community generally.”
“I go and visit a couple of guys who have had strokes and are no longer members. They’ve had to retire because they’re not fit enough.There’s one fellow who had dementia and we kept in contact with his wife, but he didn’t recognise us anymore. So you can only do so much. Where we can help we shall in many ways.”
Safety and enjoyment are equally paramount at Bunurong’s Men Shed.
“The unique aspect is it’s an organisation for men in the capacity of having fun and looking after one another health and safety wise,” Mr Tom said.
“We’ve had some men that we have to refuse membership because they weren’t capable of going upstairs and things like that. So you’ve got to be at least mobile to be able to do any work anyhow. So the restrictions we have is we are not here as carers for other people. We haven’t got the legal capacity to do that, even though we’re covered by insurance, that’s our biggest outgoing cost. So you’ve got to be looking at the health and safety of the individual person as a member.”
The Bunurong Men’s Shed acknowledges the generous support from a number of associations, individuals, companies and business.
Donations are welcome from businesses and individuals, which can take many forms. Its committee accepts donations of materials, equipment, consumables, vouchers and funds.
Donations will ensure Bunurong Men’s Shed continues to grow and support men throughout the community.
