Homeward bound: Maurice Walker, at right, with other members of Geelong’s Men’s Shed.
JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
TEN years of working and waiting is about to pay off for a nomadic Geelong Community Men’s Shed when it finally settles into its home.
President Maurice Walker said light was at the end of the tunnel, with tenders for the construction of the shed closing on Monday.
“We were the original men’s group and we were kicked around a bit,” Mr Walker said.
“We’ve met in premises at Norlane, North Shore, Rosewall and Cloverdale over the years.
“It’s the culmination of a decade worth of hanging in there. Getting agreement on the site was the hard part.
“A few have joined and stuck with us but it makes getting new members difficult.”
Mr Walker said the group had been most recently working in a garage at Norlane’s DW Hope Centre.
Land at the centre was earmarked for the new shed.
Mr Walker said the shed had $100,000 in funding from City of Greater Geelong, Diversitat and Department of Planning and Community Development.
“The shed will be similar to the buildings already at the centre. We expect to have about 200 square metres of space.
“We have equipment in storage that we will finally be able to use.”
Mr Walker said the shed would have special access for its disabled members.
“The shed will enable us to expand our community projects like helping the recent Skaart festival, making folding chairs for Pako Fest, putting in raised garden beds for a local day care centre – we still get lots of requests.
“It will finally be a meeting place, somewhere to go for many men who have little else.”
The facility will be part of a national Men’s Shed program providing men with facilities to meet for social interaction and to work on community initiatives.
The Independent reported earlier this year that an endangered grass was preventing development of a Men’s Shed at St Leonards.
