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The SHEDDER
APRIL 2017
The SHEDDER The official newsletter of the Australian Men’s Shed Association www.mensshed.org
The
Shedder April 2017
TAJ MAHAL OF SHEDS OPENS IN NEPEAN
COINED “the Taj Mahal of sheds,” the new premises for Nepean Men’s Shed was officially declared open by Australian Men’s
Shed Association Executive Officer David Helmers last month.
The Nepean Men’s Shed started in 2010 when AMSA was invited by Penrith City Council to participate in a community forum to
establish a Men’s Shed, but only secured the new permanent premises about 18 months ago.
The shed building was previously used for a community-based rescue service and became available a result of changes within
the NSW rescue services. The shed is the largest under one roof in Australia, and undoubtedly the only one in existence with its
own helicopter pad.
“The new shed is the result of huge community support and a determined group of men,” said Mr Helmers.
“In 11 years I’ve only ever been to a few shed openings due to time constraints. Nepean Men’s Shed is only the third that I’ve
actually had the privilege of officially opening. It’s amazing to see how this shed project has evolved and it is a credit to the
members, committee and the local council .”
The official opening included shed tours, entertainment and (of course) a sausage sizzle for over 200 visitors and 45 existing
shed members.
The Nepean Men’s Shed now offers local men 900 square metres of space to engage in manual crafts, socialise and learn new
skills along the way. Next on the list for the shed? Growing membership and setting up new interest groups.
Keep up with the happenings at Nepean Men’s Shed online at www.nepeanshed.org.
A number of official guests attended the shed opening: Cr John Thain (Penrith City Mayor), Tanya Davies (Mulgoa MP), Prue Car
(Londonderry MP), Emma Husar (Lindsay MP), Cr Ben Price, Cr Kath Presdee, Cr Todd Carney, and David Helmers (AMSA Executive Officer).
The SHEDDER
APRIL 2017
The SHEDDER The official newsletter of the Australian Men’s Shed Association www.mensshed.org
Dear Shedders,
Already 2017 is shaping up to be another busy year in the world of Men’s Sheds. The AMSA office is a hive of activity as we continue to develop initiatives and resources for member sheds.
Firstly, I’m pleased to announce our latest corporate sponsor —the global organisation, ExxonMobil. As part of this sponsorship AMSA and ExxonMobil will be holding a pilot program of regional Men’s Shed events in designated areas of Victoria where ExxonMobil have operations.
As we have seen, regional events are invaluable in the sharing and learning process as well as great opportunities for sheds to engage with the each other, the broader community and sponsors. These events will also be a great social event and will be a test case for future events.
Within the next few months we will be unveiling the new Shed Management and Resources Tools (SMART). Currently there are over 600 sheds using the existing SMART program. Over the six years since its introduction there have been many issues raised by users and dramatic changes in the technology available and its affordability.
When SMART was first developed web based applications were in their infancy and were hugely expensive. The “cloud” was still just a mass of water vapor in the sky. This led to SMART being developed as a standalone program that needed to be installed on computers individually with many limitations, further complicated by the vast number of different operating systems.
The new version of SMART is a “cloud based application” that can be used by multiple users from multiple locations on any operating system. Being a web based application it
eliminates the risk of data loss that we have seen when computers have not been backed up and have been damaged or stolen.
The new SMART program is currently undergoing its final phase of testing and will soon be available to download from our web-site. I would like to thank those sheds who have made themselves available to participate in the development of this program. Without your contribution, input and skills we would not have been able to make this happen.
As most of you would be aware, this time of year coincides with the renewals of the AMSA Group Insurance Scheme. We are very pleased that even though there has been some compe-tition this year, the AMSA Scheme has still seen an increase in coverage subscriptions.
This is not just great news for maintaining the policy, but it also shows the strength of the product being the only insurance available that is fully customised for Men’s Sheds. Most importantly it shows that management committees are practicing due diligence within their responsibility to the members, ensuring that the correct coverage is in place to protect the men in the sheds.
As part of our commitment to ensure best practice and continuous improvement, we will be conducting a member survey. This survey is based upon, and will be measured against, our 2013 survey results. We have tried to keep the survey as brief as possible and encourage all AMSA members to participate.
There are two prizes up for grabs for participating sheds— packages for two people from the winning sheds to attend the 2017 National Men’s Shed Conference (including travel and accommodation).
The survey plays an important role in our future planning and development of new initiatives to support Men’s Sheds so we truly value and appreciate your input.
David Helmers
Executive Officer
Australian Men’s Shed Association
The SHEDDER
APRIL 2017
The SHEDDER The official newsletter of the Australian Men’s Shed Association www.mensshed.org
From the Chairman
Last week AMSA was invited to attend a meeting of the group, “4 States in Conversation”.
The Board saw this invitation as an opportunity to discuss a way forward through ongoing and
unresolved dialogue between the Australian Men’s Shed Association and the 4 States in
Conversation, as well as a resolution to retain harmony within the spirit of the Men’s Shed
movement. The Board agreed that fellow Board Member Paul Sladdin and I meet with the
representatives from the 4 States in Conversation in an act of good faith.
A communiqué has been published (available on the AMSA website, click here to view) that
outlines the discussions that took place. Although no formal agreement was reached; any
decision to proceed on the points outlined in the communiqué will follow consultation with
AMSA member sheds, professional analysis (including a review of current best practice), and
AMSA Board discussion.
Kevin Callinan OAM
Chairman
Australian Men’s Shed Association
Tell us about your latest project
Whether it’s at your shed or at home, big or small, we want to
see and hear about what you’re up to.
Tell us about your latest project in up to 200 words (and up to
five (5) pictures). Email us with your project details and
pictures to [email protected].
RIGHT: Myron from Tuggeranong Men’s Shed with the turned
vase he entered into the 2017 Royal Canberra Show Woodwork
Expo in February 2017.
Tuggeranong had a great showing at the Expo this year, with six
members crafting masterpieces to enter into the expo
competition.
Check out the AMSA Facebook page for more pictures.
Showcasing your craftsmanship
The SHEDDER
APRIL 2017
The SHEDDER The official newsletter of the Australian Men’s Shed Association www.mensshed.org
Langwarrin men cooking up a storm in the shed
SIX MEN at the Langwarrin Men’s Shed are sharpening their culinary skills, participating in a weekly cooking group supported by Peninsula Health’s Community Kitchens Program.
“People usually see cooking as a women’s activity,” said Peninsula Health Community Kitchens Project Officer Maddy Tatham.
“However the men are really enjoying it and we are looking at expanding the program into more Men’s Sheds.”
When 74-year-old Graeme Lawson retired three years ago, he spent the first year doing things around the house, before join-ing the Langwarrin Men’s Shed and then the cooking group.
“The best thing about the cooking group is the camaraderie,” said Graeme.
“We pick a different recipe to cook each week, prepare it and then sit down to enjoy a meal together.”
With the assistance of volunteer Dianne, the men cook a recipe from the Community Kitchens Cookbook or one someone has bought from home.
A lot of the recipes are designed for one or two people, perfect for some of the men who live alone.
“Some of the guys live alone and the cooking group teaches them how to eat healthier as they learn how to cook easy meals themselves,” said Graeme.
The Community Kitchens cooking group at Langwarrin Men’s Shed. Pictured: Back row Gary, Pat, Graeme, Ian. Front row Dianne, Rod, Maddy.
The SHEDDER
APRIL 2017
The SHEDDER The official newsletter of the Australian Men’s Shed Association www.mensshed.org
“I have been married 52 years and my wife does most of the cooking, but when she’s out now I can cook something at home myself rather than buying a pie!”
Most recently the men made rice paper rolls, followed by a gluten-free lemon and blueberry cake.
According to Graeme, some of the best recipes from the Community Kitchen’s Cookbook are Garry’s Egg Pie and the Chow Mein.
It has been more than ten years since the first Community Kitchen group started up in the Frankston-Mornington Peninsula region. There are currently 28 Community Kitchen Groups running in the Frankston-Mornington Peninsula area and 55 nationally.
If you’d like to try some of the Community Kitchen recipes yourself, the recipe book is available online here.
Story as seen on Peninsula Health Latest News. Graeme chopping vegetables as part of the Community Kitchens cooking group at Langwarrin Men’s Shed.
Men’s Health Week 12-18 June 2017
For Men’s Health Week communities across Australia come together and create fun and engaging health activities tailored to
the needs of men and boys.
This year’s theme is Health Body—Healthy Mind: Keeping the Balance. This theme is about exploring the different ways men
are managing to keep healthy: physically and emotionally.
Visit AMSA Resources for a guide to holding a health event at your shed to celebrate Men’s Health Week. The Western Sydney
University has also developed a toolkit: Men’s Health Week: Useful Men’s Health Information Event Ideas and Contacts guide.
AMSA will also be actively participating in Men’s Health Week. More details coming soon.
The SHEDDER
APRIL 2017
The SHEDDER The official newsletter of the Australian Men’s Shed Association www.mensshed.org
Shed Funding National Shed Development Programme (National) For NSDP enquiries please email Liz at [email protected] The NSDP Round 14 Evaluation Panel met on Monday 20 March to review applications. Round 14 recommendations have been shared with the Department of Health, and outcomes will be announced on Monday 8 May. All applicants will receive formal notification and a notice will be posted onto the AMSA website and Facebook. NDSP Round 15 is scheduled to open on Monday 5 June 2017. Keep an eye out for information coming soon.
Community Grants (National)
A number of community grants are available for application during April to assist shed development and community
engagement activities. Click here to read more on the AMSA website.
Department of Human Services (Victoria) The Victorian Government has released a new round of funding that will provide $879,000 in 2017–18 to support the construc-tion of new men’s sheds and the refurbishment of existing Men’s Sheds throughout Victoria. Grants of up to $60,000 are available to help build new sheds, while grants of up to $30,000 are available to refurbish existing sheds. Funding is available to incorporated not-for-profit organisations and local councils in Victoria. Sheds are not required to be members of AMSA or VMSA to apply. For more information, visit the Department of Human Services website here.
The SHEDDER
APRIL 2017
The SHEDDER The official newsletter of the Australian Men’s Shed Association www.mensshed.org
Everyone belongs at Drouin Men’s Shed HARMONY DAY (21 March) marked an Australia-wide
celebration of diversity – celebrating the vibrant
multiculturalism of our nation.
The message of the 2017 Harmony Day celebration centred on
‘everyone belongs’ which is an important message that rings
true for all shedders. Diversity makes Australia a great place to
live, and brings something different to each shed.
This year, Harmony Day inspired a visit to regional Victoria
where Drouin Men’s Shed has been building friendships and
promoting harmony.
In 2014 Drouin Men’s Shed was approached to host a weekly
program for Indigenous men to visit the shed and participate
in activities. Three years on and the group has seen over 40
Indigenous men walk through the doors of Drouin Men’s Shed.
Bill heard about the program not long after its introduction
and has been a key stalwart each Wednesday morning ever
since.
“I was welcomed with open arms, and have come out of my
shell,” Bill says.
The shed’s workshop walls are adorned with a permanent
display of Aboriginal art and instruments, alongside the
craftsmanship of other shed members. All men at the Drouin
shed have had the opportunity to learn about Indigenous
culture, gaining appreciation for the culture and for each other
– whilst sharing their own skills and knowledge.
“We all learn things from each other, it’s just a great bunch of
blokes,” Bill says.
Brian, a member of the Drouin Men’s Shed, says that the
weekly program has changed his perspective. He has formed a
great relationship with some of the blokes attending the
program each week.
“We all bleed the same,” Brian says.
The Indigenous men participating in the program are
welcomed into the shed whenever they visit outside the
program, and have also been involved in assisting the shed in
community activities and fundraising.
Drouin Men’s Shed has evolved from a basic shed to a multi-
purpose space. The shed boasts a large workshop, two ‘tech’
rooms and current renovations are working on increasing the
kitchen/meeting space, adding a quiet room and a space for a
model train set-up.
The SHEDDER
APRIL 2017
The SHEDDER The official newsletter of the Australian Men’s Shed Association www.mensshed.org
AT FIRST sight the new mural adorning an entire wall in the lunch
room of the Grafton Men's Shed is a commemoration of the 49
members of the Class of 2016, but artist Linda Westmoreland has
created much more.
In almost eight months of painting, which included a sitting for each
of them, Ms Westmoreland has packed in a stack of symbols and
messages for future viewers to puzzle through.
For a crowd of about 40 people, who turned up for the unveiling of
the mural by local artist Graham Mackie, there was a quick decoding
of the symbols from Men's Shed member Kevin Watkins.
"If people look at the mural for a while you will see things in there
that will make you wonder why they are there," he said.
Mr Watkins said the symbolism of the globe and a comet linked the
local Men's Shed into the parent body, University of the Third Age,
which was an international body.
He said the artist has included personal symbols for many of her
subjects connecting them with projects they had worked on at the
shed.
"I wonder how many rocking horses people looking at the mural can
see," Mr Watkins said.
"I know there's three, but not everyone will see the third one."
Men's Shed spokesman Bruce Carle said the mural was the beginning
of an ambitious project to tell the history of the Men's Shed, the
Grafton Brewery and the Clarence Valley in a series of murals around
the room.
"The plan is to have a mural showing the Grafton Brewery, then one
depicting the Clarence River and its history," he said.
"The last one we want to do is the workers drinking in the Snake Pit,
which was a big part of the brewery's history."
He said the Men's Shed would love to find more photos of the
brewery and particularly the fabled Snake Pit.
"A lot of blokes can remember having a beer in the Snake Pit, but not
too many have photographs of it," Mr Carle said.
Story as seen in The Daily Examiner, available online here.
Grafton Men's Shed: legends in their own lunch room
The SHEDDER
APRIL 2017
The SHEDDER The official newsletter of the Australian Men’s Shed Association www.mensshed.org
Cranbourne Casey Men’s Shed opens new shed
with help from Blairlogie
FIVE YEARS ago Carolyn Carr, Blairlogie CEO, noticed a newspaper article about the local Men’s Shed operating from the
President’s backyard. In response Ms Carr offered Cranbourne Casey Men’s Shed the use of a spare woodworking space at
Blairlogie for one day per week.
Fast forward and last week the Cranbourne Casey Men’s Shed officially opened a brand new shed on the Blairlogie site, thanks
to the help of Blairlogie and state government grant funding.
“It’s very positive to see deep relationships developing between Men’s Sheds and community organisations. One of the aims of
Men’s Sheds is to build shedders’ connection with their community. Blairlogie and Cranbourne Casey Men’s Shed are working
towards that cause at every level,” said AMSA representative Matthew Plumridge.
Mr Plumridge attended the opening and was blown away by the community work undertaken by the Cranbourne Casey Men’s
Shed, despite being a relatively small shed in membership.
Blairlogie Board President Mrs Carol Pollard officially opened the shed on Monday 27 March.
Blairlogie provide disability services to the Cranbourne community. Cranbourne Casey shedders assist Blairlogie clients with all
the typical Men’s Shed ‘stuff’ when the shed is open.
Pictured (Right to Left): Amanda Stapleton (Casey Councillor, Blairlogie Board member), Cranbourne Casey Men’s Shed Committee, Carol Pollard (Blairlogie President), and Gabrielle William (Victorian Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Carers & Volunteers).
The SHEDDER
APRIL 2017
The SHEDDER The official newsletter of the Australian Men’s Shed Association www.mensshed.org
When it comes to keeping Aussie classics alive, there is no business that does it quite like Rare Spares. With a deeply rooted passion for all things automotive, the company has gone leaps and bounds to cover a variety of makes and models like no other. Rare Spares provides automotive enthusiasts across the country with the necessary life lines to keep their pride and joy running like a dream and looking great. The company started from humble beginnings, supplying new and refurbished parts for 1948 - FJ series Holden’s. The business quickly grew from a residential basement to a variety of locations throughout Melbourne as a result of the increasing demand and popularity of their products. In 1986 the company expanded its offerings to also include Ford parts as well creating products that catered to OEM specifications and even developing an industrial rubber product range. Rare Spares was soon being distributed Australasia wide, the company had gone from being a small automotive parts manufacturer to an industrial powerhouse incorporating metal pressing, information technology, clips & fasteners as well as hose products. Rare Spares has proudly supported the Australian Automotive Aftermarket over the years, and when it comes to keeping our pride and joy on the roads, it wouldn’t be a long shot to suggest that anyone with a classic Australian car has relied on Rare Spares to provide them with some of the finest of details. Also catering to industrial sectors, Rare Spares has been a significant and crucial contributor to our automotive landscape as a whole. But it would be difficult to discuss Rare Spares without mentioning one of its most important contributors, Managing Director Les McVeigh, who sadly passed away in early June of this year. Les was an instrumental part of Rare Spares, co-founding and growing the company over four decades to now becoming a multi-million dollar parts supplier for classic Ford’s and Holden’s, as well as other manufacturers. Not one to run a business solely with profit in mind, Les was an automotive enthusiast through and through. Since an early age Les enjoyed the hands on aspect of the scene which would explain his passion for creating important and even forgotten parts. At the age of 18 a young Les McVeigh purchased an FX (48 215) Holden from Dandenong that managed to travel 50 meters before blowing up. Not to be deterred, Les got the car home and got to work replacing the engine and has remained a Holden man from that time onwards. Les as well as the Rare Spares directors are first and foremost passionate car people, so their enthusiasm and dedication has translated into the long running support they have provided to the automotive restoration community for over 40 years. Les had been a vital part to the key of Rare Spares success, but other long time partners have been vital to ensuring the businesses growth and variety of products. Neal Videan, Director of Supply, is hanging up his boots after 36 years of contribution. When asked about his time at Rare Spares, Neal discussed how he played his part in bringing the company to life. “Working with the company has been incredible, there have been so many things I have had a hand in getting manufactured and brought to market, but still working for the company today to bring in profits and dealing with customers that I set up years ago.” A theme that is echoed throughout the company is the quality of the people who work for Rare Spares. “I truly enjoy the diversity of the people who work for the company, I think we have a real family feel within the organisation” When asked about the future of the company, Neal was excited for what is on the horizon. “We will be growing the base of industrial products customers, which includes contract manufacturing and I think there will be more and more demand parts for the traditional Rare Spares product lines. Even with the demise of Holden and Ford people will still want to do up the Aussie icons.” As Neal says goodbye to the company he helped build, he discussed what he plans to do in his spare time. “I will have a few family duties to attend too but I actually have a soft spot for classic motorbikes. I usually play around with Vincent HRD’s.” General Manager David Rayner also has also been fundamental to the growth of Rare Spares over the years.
Restoration Renaissance A tribute to Les McVeigh, his two retiring partners and a look at the past and future of Rare Spares
The SHEDDER
APRIL 2017
The SHEDDER The official newsletter of the Australian Men’s Shed Association www.mensshed.org
“In the 36 years I’ve been with the company, it’s been incredibly interesting, enjoyable, often challenging but ultimately rewarding” When asked about the most exciting aspect of being involved with the company, David touched on the importance of Rare Spares within the automotive community. “It would have to be the end results of manufacturing a huge variety of componentry for the restoration market. That ultimately is what we do, making parts for motoring enthusiasts; it’s the most rewarding and exciting part of the business.” David also provided an insight into where he sees the company heading in the future. “As the cars get older, we will be making parts for newer cars, when they get 20-30 years old, we will be the ones keeping them on the roads. Of course we will continue to make parts for cars we traditionally made parts for as I can see the demand for these growing.” Whilst Rare Spares is expanding, David plans to slow things down a little once he leaves the company by focusing on travel and maintaining his fleet of cars which includes a 1960 Cadillac Eldorado convertible, Ford Granada and a Ford Zodiac among others. David Ryan, Director of Finance also provided some insight into the direction of the passionate company. “There is still a vast array of spare parts that need to be made, we haven’t backed off on our new product program, and we are now making parts of the size and complexity that we hadn’t even dreamed of five to ten years ago. As the model years roll on, more parts will be required, it’s an ever unfolding landscape and one we are truly excited to be involved in.” Lance Corby has been with the company for 36 years and now assumes the role of Managing Director. When asked about the future of the company Lance mentioned that Rare Spares will continue to grow despite the end of Australian vehicle manufacturing. “Rare Spares is a progressive company, we will continue to move forward with the times and fact motoring companies are moving manufacturing out of Australia doesn’t mean it’s all doom and gloom. There is a great opportunity for Rare Spares here and we are going to look outside of the box, we don’t want to restrict ourselves to what we are doing today. We will try and move the company forward in any which way we can.” Melissa McVeigh, Director of Marketing and daughter of Les, shared her thoughts on the company’s legacy and direction. “We are all very excited and optimistic about what the future holds for Rare Spares. Although we may have recently lost over 150 years of knowledge of those who are no longer with us be it in passing or retiring, their legacies, passions and drive live on in all of us.” Melissa also continued to mention how Rare Spares will continue to flourish as time goes on. “We now have a very dedicated, knowledgeable team at Rare Spares and we are all looking forward to the future in working together to continue to grow and overcome any challenges we may face with the changes in the Automotive Industry.” “We are passionate about what we do and the people we do it with. As a wise man once said to me, if you’re not making mistakes you’re not growing or learning, just don’t make them twice.” As Rare Spares continues to hone their focus on classic Ford and Holden parts, many new products are destined to hit the shelves, the future of Rare Spares continues to brighten as many of the common place cars we see today, become the classics of tomorrow. However it is clear to see that Rare Spares co-founder, Les McVeigh’s legacy will continue to positively impact everyone in the automotive scene for decades to come and with Australian manufacturing coming to a close, the next chapter for Rare Spares begins.
The SHEDDER
APRIL 2017
The SHEDDER The official newsletter of the Australian Men’s Shed Association www.mensshed.org
Murraylands Community Men’s Shed hosts
South Australian association meeting
Talks in Murray Bridge at a gathering in March may help the Men’s Shed movement gain some extra momentum in South
Australia.
About 50 men and women attended a regional meeting of the South Australian Men’s Shed Association at the Murraylands
Community Men’s Shed.
As well as sharing ideas from 15 sheds, they talked about a new structure for the state association that should give them a
louder collective voice.
Barry Laubsch, treasurer of the Murray Bridge Men’s Shed, said regional clusters – each represented on the state committee –
would help shedders lobby for funding or shape government policy.
Australian Men’s Shed Association membership officer Mel White said the heart and soul of the Men’s Shed movement had
been evident at the meeting.
“They’re so happy, all doing such wonderful projects – there’s not enough nice things to say,” she said.
She said Murray Bridge’s was one of the larger sheds around, “but that’s a men’s shed thing, everyone wants to think they have the biggest and the best”.
PICTURED: Murraylands Community Men’s Shed committee, Mel White (AMSA) and Michael Evans (SAMSA Chairperson).
The SHEDDER
APRIL 2017
The SHEDDER The official newsletter of the Australian Men’s Shed Association www.mensshed.org
In recognition of the evolution of the Men’s Shed movement the 7th National
Men’s Shed Conference will focus on grassroots shed operations and
sustainability – to support the continued growth and success of your shed.
7th National Men’s Shed Conference
Interactive conference sessions will encourage delegates to come together to share their
lessons, talk in depth about experiences and discover ways to grow the success of their
shed.
Enjoy breakfast, shed tours and a social welcome reception on Friday, three streams of
conference sessions and an exciting conference dinner on Saturday and cap it off with the
close of Men’s Shed Week on Sunday.
This conference will be one not to be missed!
Registrations open Monday 24 April. Register you expression of interest here.
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