A community initiative is keeping men busy in Tuakau.
The Tuakau MenzShed brings men together in one community space to share their skills, have a laugh, and work on practical tasks individually on personal projects or as a group for the shed or community.
Tuakau MenzShed chairman Brian Aislabie said the shed has grown from 12 members to 31.
“It’s a fantastic place. There’s always something to work on and it’s great for companionship.”
When the Franklin Times visited the Tuakau shed, it was a hive of activity. Several men were busy installing a roof over two shipping containers while others were working on fundraising projects or building things for Tuakau Playcentre.
Member Stoney Burke said like many other sheds, the Tuakau MenzShed started off with four or five men chatting around a cafe table nearly two years ago.
“A couple of the blokes had been talking about the idea of a local shed for several years, so a kind offer of the use of a currently unused shed from the local Tuakau Emergency Services Community Trust was the catalyst for action rather than words.”
Half a dozen enthusiastic locals then spent a week clearing the shed.
“As is usually the case in a small country town, the word got around. We received regular offers of a wide variety of tools, machinery and timber. Amazing what appears out of good old farm sheds, particularly the beautiful native timber, and even a few established Auckland ‘sheds’ made generous contributions of their excess tooling,” Burke said.
The Tuakau members usually meet on Mondays and Wednesdays. For more information or to donate tools or materials, email chairman.tuakau.menzshed@gmail.com.
