The Redland Bay Men’s Shed. Photo: Supplied.
FROM THE REDLAND BAY MEN’S SHED
It seems that issues facing men in older years can be categorised as Health (both physical and mental), Wealth (not much we can do about that one), and Lifestyle (retired, bored, lonely or depressed).
The Redland Bay Men’s Shed is a group of men, mostly retired but not exclusively so, who meet at our purpose-built shed at Redland Bay.
We provide support, company, friendship, activities, and a workshop in a relaxed atmosphere. Our main objective is men’s health, both physical and mental, and to achieve this, we provide a neutral atmosphere where our members can discuss issues while enjoying a social outing and even a cup of tea and a biscuit. How good is that?
Our wives and partners support our participation in the Men’s Shed gatherings for several reasons. It gets us out from under their feet and allows us to get back into society after retirement. There is a real risk of retirees becoming isolated and falling into depression once we are no longer in a structured working environment.
The activities undertaken in the Redland Bay Men’s Shed are varied, depending on members’ interests. Art and craft are becoming popular, leatherwork, card games and even snooker; a generous member donated a pool table. We have wood lathes, lots of tools and even a metal lathe and a milling machine for those interested. Maybe our attraction to sawdust and metal filings is somehow part of our genetic makeup.
The Australian Men’s Shed Association slogan is ‘Shoulder To Shoulder’, shortened from ‘Men don’t talk face to face, they talk shoulder to shoulder’. That means we are more prone to talk to each other about various topics while in a relaxed and familiar location and somehow engaged in an activity.
The Redland Bay Men’s Shed is located at 8 Donald Road in Redland Bay, next to the skate park on School of Arts Road, and we are open from about 8:00 am until noon from Monday to Thursday.
Our email address is [email protected], and our phone number is (07) 3134 0918, but the best way to contact us is to call in and say “Hello”. You will be most welcome and might even get a cup of tea.
