Men’s Shed wins new tools

LESCHENAULT Men’s Shed will be getting a shiny new set of tools thanks to a Federal grant announced last week.

The Men’s Shed will receive $5350, in the National Shed Development Program, for tools, equipment and training.

With this money the men will equip themselves with a table saw and an oscillating vertical bobbin sander, the installation of cabling from switchboard to equipment and also pay for building maintenance.

Men’s Shed president Robert Jenkins said the grant would help replace second hand tools bought when the Shed originally opened.

“We didn’t have a lot of funds when we first opened,” he said.

“At the annual general meeting last year the members said ‘we’ve got some money let’s replace some of these second hand tools’.”

Mr Jenkins said the Shed had grown from five men in the shed per day when it began to 21 men now there each day.

Mr Jenkins said the grant would also allow the Shed to reserve its own funds for a new dust extraction system.

“A dust extraction system is going to cost us about $30,000,” he said.

Mr Jenkins said with so many more members working at a time and dust from various projects in the air, an extraction system was needed for the health of the Shed’s members.

Forrest MHR Nola Marino said Men’s Sheds provided a sense of community, a safe and friendly environment where men could work on projects at their own pace, in the company of other men and have an opportunity to share their skills with each other.