MENZSHED - Picton

MENZSHED are a registered charity that facilitates the running of Men's Sheds running across New Zealand.  These are community groups for men, where men can: come together to share their skills, enjoy social time and work on practical tasks as a group, or work on their own projects. Men Shed's provide a supportive and beneficial environment for Men to learn new skills, as well as working on the things they love doing. As well as group and personal projects, Shed's also do work for community projects and events.

MENZSHED aims to:

• Bring sheds together to enable them to establish relationships and collaborate where appropriate.
• Promote the concept to communities without sheds, and support groups as they go through the establishment phase – and this includes linking new groups with nearby established sheds and their team of regional representatives.
• Establish national sponsor relationships.  Sheds often initiate relationships at a local level too.
• Encourage sheds to act autonomously. Sheds are encouraged to make their own decisions and rules but resources are available to assist.
• Operate at minimal cost to sheds.  Member sheds pay a $25.00 annual fee.
• Organise national conferences, which are currently on a two-year cycle.
• Allow sheds to drive the organisation rather than the organisation driving the sheds.

Some sheds also provide opportunities for women members to come together, through the facilitation of women's groups, however, their main focus is creating a community space for men.

Shed and facilities

The Picton Men’s Community Shed was established in 2009 and has 35 members.  The group operates from a shed with a floor area of 150 square metres, and is well provisioned with hand tools, power tools, woodworking machinery, a metal-turning lathe and welding gear.

Members work on a wide and varied range of activities, some of which include classic boat restoration, knife and tool sharpening, furniture making and repairs, off-site community tasks, propagating plants and gardening and, of course, their own private projects, too.

There is a strong emphasis on men’s health and well-being.