Australia: New Grants Build on the Work at 58 Men’s Sheds

Link here. Excerpt:

'More than fifty Men’s Sheds across Australia will receive funding from the Australian Government to upgrade their facilities or buy new equipment and tools, in the latest round of grants announced today by Minister for Indigenous Health Warren Snowdon.

“Men’s Sheds offer more than just a place for blokes to catch up and work on the tools – in many parts of country Australia they give men a lifeline to a network of mates and support,” Mr Snowdon said.

“In this round of funding we looked at giving priority to towns and regions with higher than average rates of unemployment – we know men in these areas are more likely to suffer from isolation.”

“We provide the money for the bricks and tools, but it’s the men and their camaraderie that make these sheds work,” Mr Snowdon said.

58 Men’s Sheds from across the country will share in $125,000 worth of funding to assist with purchasing tools for woodwork, including saws, drills and safety equipment, as well as providing money for upgrades to facilities.

Under its National Male Health Policy, the Federal Government funds the Australian Men’s Shed Association (AMSA) to run the Shed Development Program, which includes $250,000 a year over three years, in direct assistance to Men’s Sheds, plus $125,000 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander shed activities.'