ABOUT US
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The Shed
Welcome to the Hamilton Community Men’s Shed. As one of the first New Zealand men’s sheds established in 2007, it was modelled on the Australian Men’s Shed movement established around 2005. In recent years we have been situated in a Hamilton City Council facility in the Ward Park Arts complex at the Hamilton Girls High School end of Seddon Road.
We are a club of folks who enjoy meeting together informally at a venue with tools. This offers members a place to fix or try new things, a network of people who are keen to keep using or sharing their life and technical skills with others. It is a convenient spot where members can meet to relax, have a cuppa and a chat about a range of topics. Every community men’s shed is similar in focus but unique in style as each one reflects different facilities, resources and personnel. They all respond to the needs of members in their communities.
Skills and knowledge within our current membership include food and mechanical safety, electrical and mechanical engineering, trade training, community education, maintenance, building, vehicles, woodturning, teaching, music, musical instrument making and gardening, to name a few.
Community involvement
Presently, there are Men's Sheds established in most regions of New Zealand. We are a member of a national men’s shed association, a group that meets biennially to share knowledge, experiences and ideas to enhance what we do. This becomes a window into the greater shed organisation and can further enlighten potential members about a range of options available to them.
We receive regular inquiries from individuals and groups who appreciate the practical focus a men’s shed provides. We have an open invitation to men or women with time on their hands to come along, maybe to even take on a supervisory role to open the shed more frequently on a roster basis.
Men’s sheds are about building strong communities. We provide a principal focus for those in our community who lack opportunities as seniors. We invite those who have had to move into retirement accommodation and have lost their own workshop facilities, also give those new to retirement or to our city the chance to meet and make new friends. Those who suffer from depression or loneliness will get a lift in their spirits. All of our members will gain a point of contact and connection. Anyone wanting to learn new skills and techniques has the chance to do this informally in a safe and friendly environment. Since opening, we have had generous donations and loans of tools for the shed from many kind benefactors.
