MEN from across the country left their sheds and travelled to Canberra for a barbecue on the biggest front lawn in Australia.
Parliament House hosted the Men’s Shed Blokes Barby on 30 October to make politicians more aware of the movement and men’s health issues, and to share ideas and projects.
Denis Minogue from the Dandenong and Keysborough Men’s Sheds spoke to several high-profile MPs including Joe Hockey and Simon Crean, and said they were very receptive to supporting funding of similar projects.
“The whole shed movement is about men’s health and wellbeing,” he said.
“The whole idea of the shed is to give support in retirement or unemployment, or men with disabilities and things like that.”
Mr Minogue said spending money on the sheds now to prevent depression and loneliness would be cheaper than treating related mental health conditions down the track.
He established the Keysborough Men’s Shed in 2004 and moved to the Dandenong Men’s Shed last year. He’s also a Victorian Men’s Shed Association project officer.
“I have a role of trying to connect the sheds and give them support,” he said.
“I believe we need to look after men’s health and wellbeing. It’s important that we men given something to live for.”
Mr Minogue said men volunteered their time for projects that supported the community and in turn received support.
“It’s open to everyone. There are very few formalities. Blokes can be themselves and learn from one another,” he said.
