Size limits at Lane Cove Men’s Shed prompts search for new home
Members of Australia’s first men’s shed are on the lookout for a new home to host its gatherings due to size constraints and redevelopment plans by the owner of the site
North Shore
Don't miss out on the headlines from North Shore. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Size constraints, noise limits and redevelopment plans by the site’s owner has prompted Australia’s first men’s shed to launch a search for new home on the north shore.
Members of the Lane Cove Men’s Shed say they are struggling to accommodate new members due to restrictions at the two-room workshop, located in the basement of an aged care home on Fig Tree St.
Founded by a group of mates, the men’s shed was the first in Australia and provides a meeting place for older residents to socialise and work on small building projects.
The group has operated under an agreement with site owner, Uniting St Columba’s aged care, since the doors opened in 1998.
But long-term member David Lewinsohn said limitations at the site meant the group was rarely able to accommodate new members and forced to turn many away.
He said constraints at the site also include limits on the number of people that could safely work in the tool room at any given time.
“We were the first men’s shed in the world but because of our circumstances we’re in a situation where we’re unable to grow,” he said.
“I live in a unit and the entire shed is about the size of two of my loungerooms put together — it’s a very small area.
“We can only really accommodate eight to 10 people at a time and because we’re under a retirement village we also can’t make too much noise or create lot of dust.
“It means we can’t work on larger projects that a lot of other sheds around Australia are able to do.”
Mr Lewinsohn said the search was partly prompted by long-term plans by Uniting St Columba’s to redevelop the site.
He said potential locations for a new shed could include a vacant building on Crown Land in the Lane Cove area.
“We’re a non profit organisation and effectively have no income so that really limits us in terms of where we’d be able to go,” he said.
“A larger site would enable us to welcome new members but also work on more ambitious projects.
“In an environment where the community around us is ageing it really makes sense for us to find a more suitable location.”
Recent projects at the shed have included the construction of various community works including street library boxes and park benches.
Mr Lewinsohn said the shed also played an important role in addressing social isolation among older men in the local area.
“We have members in their 90s and it’s a place where they can get out of the house for a few hours, socialise and learn skills they didn't previously have,” he said.
Since the doors opened, the men’s shed movement has resulted in more than 1100 sheds opening across Australia and countless more overseas
Demand has been reflected in latest Census figures that showed a 16 per cent increase in residents aged over 65 in the Lane Cove Council region from 2011 to 2016.