The Menzshed Story The backyard shed holds an important place in New Zealand Culture. It is a place of refuge where men can dream, build something practical or create something fanciful. For some it provides a reservoir of memories, for others it’s a meeting place where family or special mates swap stories. It's that little piece of personal space where many a problem has been quietly sorted out and strategies hatched. Often when families have grown and the parents have moved into a smaller space dad's shed is the first thing that seems to go! With this in mind, a ‘community shed’ was created. Men could come and use their skills, chat to mates, share stories, use tools, and still be creative and useful. Men could bring personal projects to work on or participate in some community work. The Halswell Menzshed is a place for men to: - Be social and share company - Learn new skills and hone old ones. - Work on a project whilst contributing to the community. - Use great tools, engage in interesting projects! - Make gifts, pursue hobbies, pastimes and interests! - Feel productive and contribute to the community. - Have fun! Our vision is: - To help address the issues of men’s health and well being in the community. - Engage the elderly, differently-abled and young men in our community. - To support the social interaction of men in transition periods (e.g. Redundancy, bereavement, retirement, ill health, relocation, respite care and rehabilitation). - To share, disseminate and preserve the skills, abilities and interests that are relevant to the community. - To effectively operate a sustainable Menzshed in the Halswell area. In pursuing our vision, we commit to the following values: - Compassion and empathy in serving men in our community. - creating a welcoming, inclusive and safe environment. - Maintain a safe physical environment within the shed. - Be smoke, drug and alcohol free within the shed. - Be sensitive to the cultures, creeds and norms of other sheds.