THE Kempsey Men's Shed has been operating in town since 2007, but the non-profit organisation recently changed locations to their new shed at the Kempsey Macleay Golf Club.
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Despite the change of location and the passing of time, local shed treasurer Trevor Hamilton is adamant the group is the same it's always been.
"Our core values haven't changed; we are still a community-based organisation that provides a variety of activities for men from all walks of life," he said.
"The shed is a great place to learn new skills, make new friends and enjoy each others company. Our members can come in and get access to all the woodworking facilities after a quick skills test.
"We don't discriminate; we have members of all ages; one of our members even comes in with his carer; everyone is welcome at the shed."
The men's shed is also a haven for women to go and mix with other like-minded people, share their skills, learn new ones and above all, make new friends.
"Women have their own day called 'The Ladies Shed', on Tuesdays from 10 am to 2 pm," Trevor said.
"A lot of ladies come in because they are in the process of small home repairs and building or restoring furniture.
"We also have a computer-based course for seniors; we just ask for a gold coin donation. "
Aside from the facilities provided for their members, Trevor says the community-minded organisation also does its best to help locals.
"People from the community often come in and get help from us with woodworking tasks and jobs they can't do themselves," he said.
"On Saturday mornings from 9am to 1pm, we sell good items out of the new shed at the Kempsey Macleay Golf Club, we are always on the lookout for more quality items."
Anybody interested in joining the Kempsey Men's Shed or learning more is encouraged to ring on Monday or Wednesday between the hours of 9am to 3pm on 6563-1766.
"Ring or come in for a chat and a cuppa, we get plenty of blokes who just come in for a chat and a look around to see what we do, it's good company," Trevor said.
"We all keep an eye on each other and support each other."
There are now over 1000 Men's Sheds around Australia. Overseas there are roughly 450 in Ireland, 300 in the United Kingdom, 100 in New Zealand and 20 in Canada. The movement has also started to gain momentum in the United States.
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