A lot of people ask what we do in a community Men's Shed, and what is its aim.
A Man’s Role:

As we are aware that a man's role in today's life has been totally redefined, there are a lot of things that are expected of men these days that have not been expected of them in the past. The male used to be the main bread winner, and mum used to look after the house and kids. But due to financial pressures and social changes, this is not the case anymore and for the more mature males in our society it has been a bitter pill to swallow. They may feel that their proud masculinity has been attacked, and therefore their feeling of self-worth has been diminished.

“Creation through the hands can change the perception of the Mind”© LW

Teens:

The younger male (teenagers) are constantly under pressure to be high achievers. This pressure comes from the educational institutions, home, and society. Today if you are good academically or successful at sport, you tend to get more recognition for your achievements. If you are not up to expectations in these two categories, you will not get as much attention as your peers. This can be devastating to some kids, so they go and seek attention in other ways like vandalism, bullying, depression and so on. These kids may very well be very good with their hands or have other skills. We must understand that not every child is university material, so we must hone in on the skills and interests they have and help them to develop and use them to their best ability. This is when they develop self-worth so they can feel a worthwhile contributor to society. Extreme pressures to be a high achiever and the feeling of worthlessness (when they can’t live up to the expectations of others) is a major contributor to teenage suicide.

Divorce:

Today's world of divorce is an other devastating statistic that also affects a man's well being. The way our laws work these days in the majority of cases it is the man that generally bears the major burden, both financially and emotionally. In the majority of cases it is the man that only gets to see his kids on an intermittent basis and gets totally disconnected from their everyday life. Laws are weighted against the non-custodial parent (being the father in most cases). Not only does divorce affect the family involved but it also has some major repercussions on the circle of family friends. In a lot of cases they tend to take sides leading to ill feelings and therefore leaving the man feeling totally isolated with very little support. In some cases the divorce proceedings can get so bitter that a man is driven to desperation. This may at times lead to murder suicide because there are very few active support groups that understand the man's perspective and are able to guide him through the maze of extreme emotions.

Retired or Redundant:

When a man retires or is made redundant, he may feel lost and disoriented because his routine has been taken away from him. Yes, he can now go and play golf, bowls, go fishing, or whatever takes his fancy, but after a number of months this also can become the same-old, same-old. He gets to feel that he is not useful or productive in society anymore and starts to get depressed. Once depression sets in after a period of time, it starts to lead to more serious well-being issues. These men have a lifetime's worth of skills and experiences and they can no longer utilise them in a productive manner.


Ageing:

As we get older we lose our nimbleness and abilities to do certain physical things, and we also get a lot slower with reaction times dramatically decreased. It is therefore easier to stumble and fall and do things in a safe manner by ourselves. For many it gets to a stage where they require constant supervision and therefore relegated to the dreadful retirement home. But what about our shed and all the our valuable junk and tools? Well, they go to the tip or some secondhand dealer. Now we sit in our little room till we are allowed to go out and listen to that terrible sound of someone badly-playing an old out-of-tune piano, and we all get to do the chicken dance. Now here comes lunch, everything is mashed (including my T bone steak) and the girl says “ If you eat it all you’ll get some ice cream”.
Hell I’m a man, I spent 50 years as a first class engineer. Just because I’m older doesn’t mean I’m dumb and need to be treated as a toddler. So here I sit wasting away, I really miss that smell of grease and oil and the yarns with all my mates. I feel so depressed. Wish I still had my shed. I could still teach the young ones a thing or two.


Questions:

Why do we have such an alarming increase in violence, substance abuse, anxiety and depression?
Is it because it is harder to get a full time 5 days a week meaningful job, causing us to be idle for longer periods of time? Is it because most men are no longer "hands on" because machines and computers have taken these roles? Is it because our manufacturing industries are being sent to developing countries because it is cheaper or society thinks that these are menial tasks? Or is it our love of the dollar and social expectations that are causing us to disconnect from our friends and community because there is no time? Could it not be a combination of all of the above.

Some Answers:

Now that we have addressed some areas that are of concern and asked some questions that all of us have asked or thought about, it is through the Shed concept that we try to assist men. This is done via mateship, mentoring, support, activities, and referrals to professionals. We also offer respite care and assist the disabled and senior men in leading more fulfilling lives. We pass on skills and trades and do intergenerational mentoring.

Our mission statement says it all:-

"To enjoy each other's company,
Promote self-worth and work
Ethics, while developing and
Sharing skills that benefit both
The individual and the community."©

Please be advised the Grenfell Shed is not a member of nor are we associated with Mensheds Australia.

Theo Sanders
The Grenfell Shed

website designed by Josh Dawes
last updated on 08/07/2008 11:35:29 AM +1100