Men to get their own sharing shed

ROSS GIBLIN/The Dominion Post

TALKING POINT: Tom White is looking for a property for men to meet in Wellington.

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Older Wellington blokes could soon be bonding in a New Age garden shed in a busy suburban street, thanks to the example of our Ocker mates.

Community care provider Wesley Care, with support from Wellington City Council, is scouring Newtown for premises to establish a "Men's Shed".

It would give Kiwi blokes a garden shed-flavoured meeting place to share practical skills while discussing health and social issues. The movement has boomed across the Tasman since it was introduced by Menshed Australia in 2002, and there are now more than 200 sheds.

The Newtown shed would initially cater to socially isolated older men in a hands-on way by using their abilities in areas such as gardening, building, woodwork, and metal work.

This could lead to their making goods – such as wooden seats and signs – which could be sold to help cover running costs of the shed, Wesley spokesman Tom White said. "It will be a work shed that reflects the men that go there."

Other funding would come through donations of cash, equipment and time.

This approach had been shown to provide a comfortable setting that allowed men to talk about any problems they faces, he said.

"Men working alongside each other might not want to go and do counselling and talk about their prostate, or the grief over their lost wife, in a formal professional situation."

The proposal has been backed by the council, which is helping to find premises in Newtown or Kilbirnie, Mr White says.

Men's Sheds are active in Dunedin, Hamilton and Thames, and more than 10 others are planned in New Zealand.

- © Fairfax NZ News