TIMBER TROUBLE: Thieves target Men’s Shed donation

Projects are now on hold after a donation of timber from a generous widow was stolen.

ALMOST 500kg of timber donated by a Kalpowar widow has been stolen from the Monto and District Men's Shed.

The group made the discovery upon returning to their rail shed on Lister St, Monto on Friday, May 22.

Club president Jason Catling said the members were disappointed to find the majority of the timber had been stolen, which they had received it in March.

"We had the opportunity from a lady in Kalpowar whose husband passed," Mr Catling said.

"She donated a whole bunch of timber her husband had collected over the years, and we didn't want to turn down the donation."

 

Roughly 400kgs of donated timber was stolen from the Monto Men's Shed in May. Picture: Facebook

 

The Monto group is a part of the Australian Men's Shed Association, a community-based organisation which encourages social inclusion through manual arts.

The Monto chapter was formed in February this year.

"We had just got our first grant submission in to begin building things, then the whole COVID thing shut us down," Mr Catling said.

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"We had all sorts of plans for that timber, which will now have to go on hold."

The donation included several pieces of hard and soft timber, including Silky Oak which could be used to make sturdy wooden furniture, according to Mr Catling.

"To have all that timber there would've been helpful for any further projects that would've come up," he said.

"Trying to buy timber is very expensive, so it's going to be hard."

Now as coronavirus restrictions begin to lift, the group has been left to start up again with the timber left behind by the thieves.

"You'd like to think that in a country town stuff like this wouldn't happen, but it's just how it is sometimes," Mr Catling said.

"It could've been someone from town, or someone passing through, who knows."

If you have any information, contact Monto Police on 4899 4033 or Policelink on 131 444.

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