YANCHEP Community Men’s Shed members recently got together at Orion Café to promote the projects they have completed at the Yanchep Lagoon venue and provide an update on their efforts to secure a bigger shed.
Orion Café owner Bernardo Alalid said the men’s shed had done a lot of things for the Orion Café.
“They have set up the coffee van – they’re the ones who made it and assembled it here,’’ he said.
“They’ve also made the tables and chairs, the signage, the benches and the recycling bins for bottles and cans.
“Anything that requires skills with woodwork the men’s shed is the best to contact,’’ he said.
“They’re very good.”’
YCMS member Bob Billingham of Alkimos said the men’s shed allowed him to keep active and make stuff from wood with his hands.
“I’ve made tables, dog kennels, tee-pee cubby houses for kids, chairs…you name it,’’ he said.
Lewis Kapene of Eglinton enjoys getting amongst the men’s shed as a team.
“Some enjoy chats but I don’t enjoy chats I’d rather do something,’’ he said.
Mr Kapene said he enjoyed making anything but tables were his favourite project.
Both have been members since 2021.
YCMS chairman Malcolm Gow said the men’s shed had 59 members including 16 women.
Mr Gow said the men’s shed had just completed a three-year lease with their landlord and secured some financial assistance from the City of Wanneroo to pay 50 per cent of their rent over the same period.
Some Yanchep Community Men’s Shed members at the Orion Café to talk about the projects they have completed there. Picture Anita McInnesBut he said the men’s shed still needed access to a block of land so they could then start fundraising to put a new shed up.
They need a bigger shed to house all the equipment used by their members to carry out their woodwork activities and projects with a block of land and fundraising to pay for the shed critical to their future growth and ability to provide a place for men to meet.
“We (need) contributions from the state and from the city and from federal, three different sources, and then we’re looking forward to within the next three-year period of having a building up on site,’’ he said.
He said community men’s sheds like the one in Yanchep did a lot for men’s health overall and not just their physical health.
“Mental health is very important, because obviously when men finish work, they are used to working with their colleagues and the friendship and work experience together is very important.
“Physically, yes, it obviously helps keep them in working order, as it were – it’s a good philosophy.
“It’s a good mix of men, yeah, from all walks of life, and they talk about their previous work and everything and about the health of bits and bobs that men don’t normally talk about.’’
The Yanchep Community Men’s Shed is open weekdays from 9am to noon at 2B Bracknell St, Yanchep in the light industrial area.
For more information call Malcolm on 0401 646 183 or Ted on 0419 915 187.
