By Luke Voogt
Grovedale Men’s Shed members are celebrating their first permanent home after five years in limbo at temporary sites.
“I think it’s awesome. It allows us to plan for the future,” said group secretary Gerard Irvin.
Council granted the group a site at Armstrong Creek recently following “a hell of a lot of nagging”, the retired school principal said.
“It’s the usual story: everyone and their dog wants some land and council has a very limited supply. We sort of muscled our way into the discussion about this.”
Council set aside $50,000 for the shed, choosing Armstrong Creek West community complex as the site.
The shed should be separate to the complex and be available to various elderly groups, Gerard said.
“We’ll fight tooth and nail for something that meets our needs.”
Groups like Men’s Sheds were vital to keeping the elderly active rather than “sitting in a chair and watching TV until they die”, Gerard said.
“There’s just so little to do nowadays that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.”
Grovedale Men’s Shed could craft items for planned schools nearby and hold fundraisers to give back to the community from their new home, Gerard said.
“A lot of people are just there for the camaraderie and making friends because it’s the only time they get out of the house. That’s why we want a space we can call our own.”
