Men's Sheds What Do They Do - What Are They?

May 28, 2012 - PRLog -- Men's Sheds are expanding all across the globe at an amazing rate. No two Men's Sheds are the same as each other. The concept of a Men's Shed is very basic. Men talk shoulder to shoulder and not face to face. So Men's sheds are a support group that not only act as a support for their members, but do charitable work both from their local shed and in the local community.

The biggest support body for Men's Sheds in Australia is the Australian Men's Shed Association. visit http://www.mensshed.org/home/.aspx They are the main national body for the Australian Men's Shed movement in Australia. They offer both support for all of there members and men wanting to start a new Men's Shed, both in Australia and in many international countries, there are over 750 Men's Sheds in Australia. The concept of running these Men's Sheds is to be a support for mens health issues, mostly depression, even men recovering from a stroke come to these sheds. Men's Sheds act as both a mental peer support group, and physical support group.

They get active building things for the local community. Men who have retired from the work force, find that there is only so much they can do at home and they need an outside interest to fight off depression and not getting into a rut. Getting involved at the local Men's Shed means, men have something to go home and talk about. They get active making all kinds of things from bird boxes to wind chimes, to making children's toys or even being taught how to work on a wood lathe and make wooden clocks and vases. Men in Men's Shed do all kinds of activities. Some just come down to the shed and have a chat and a cuppa, while others come down and do things like make things on metal lathes.

Men doing charity work in Men's sheds, come for both the company and so they can keep active and have something to talk about when they go home. One role which has not got much recognition and may seem to be new is that married men have told us they have saved their marriages. Being active at the shed gives them a sense of well being and sometimes they bring things down to the shed to fix, and take it home.

People that don't understand the concept of a Men's Shed, have tried to make a claim that Men's Sheds are sexist, but they are far from having any real knowledge of what a Men's Shed can achieve. Some sheds have women members in them, the term Men's Sheds does not mean that women are not welcome. If you wanted to join a women's auxiliary group and you where a man, you might feel out of place and nobody knocks them.

Men go to Men's Sheds for many different reasons, you don't need to be of retirement age to join a Men's Shed. Men of all ages join the sheds. There is a minimum age of 18 years of age because of insurance policy needs. I have seen men come along in wheel chairs, and on walking sticks, and others that have bad backs, all show up and get active with in a shed. So men of all kinds of backgrounds work in Men's Sheds and offer a mentoring program to help less skilled, to increase their skills level and do new things in life.

The Australian Men's Shed association has a map so you can find your nearest Men's shed, just put in your post code and you will see the nearest Men's Shed to your location. Who knows maybe you have an idea to start a new activity at one of the sheds.