STORY - "Wanted: Shed Mates"


Since its opening in April last year, “The Shed” at Windale, operating under the auspices of the Two Bishops Trust, has evolved as a community centre and a place of expertise in woodworking, small engines and metal fabrications. Skills and friendships are being developed simultaneously, and with those come confidence and hope in the future.

The Shed exists to promote community participation and encourage skill development and mentoring of young people with high needs. Young people can receive mentoring and training from skilled retired or unemployed local residents in areas such as motor mechanics, steel and metal fabrication, boat building and furniture making. The project aims to inspire and encourage young people to improve their literacy and numeracy skills. 

A number of exciting projects are on the drawing board of Shed Co-ordinator David Helmers. The first priority was to equip The Shed appropriately for a variety of types of contract work. Generous donations of cash, goods and time from individuals and companies allowed this to happen, and this largesse is now being recognised through the “Friends of the Shed” initiative.

As David said, “The Shed can only continue with community support, and we really want to thank those who have supplied this, particularly in an ongoing capacity, by making them ‘Friends'”. Fourteen participants became “Friends of the Shed” at the ceremony on 9 March.

Speaking at the launch of “Friends of the Shed”, Director of Centacare Bryan Dunn said, “There's enormous energy here because we cross the divides between business, community and government sectors. So often, different groups in the community are at odds with each other. At Windale people with various interests have worked together and taken responsibility for their own. The Windale community is a beacon in terms of what can be achieved. The effects of disadvantage are minimised when there is social cohesion and by golly, we've got loads of social cohesion at Windale!”

There is much scope for further support for The Shed, and David is keen to hear from anyone who would like to be involved. As he pointed out, “This Shed started as a facility, thanks to the Two Bishops Trust. Now we have to give it soul.” The people, the projects and the philosophy of movement towards becoming self sustaining all contribute to this.

A way in which many members of the community will be able to contribute is by donating unwanted bicycles for “My Bike”. This is a project which will allow upper primary and lower secondary students to learn to refurbish a bike which they can then ride away! Safety and maintenance will also be key components of the programme. If you have a bike in reasonable condition which is no longer wanted, please contact David on 0400 729 000 and he will arrange for collection.

Other upcoming projects include skill development for girls interested in the automotive field, and opportunities for school students to “try a trade”.

As well as contract work and training programmes, The Shed provides a place for men – and women – to gather, tell stories, quaff coffee and spin yarns. Perhaps this aspect of the enterprise is no less significant than the more pragmatic concerns, in a society where not everyone finds it easy to establish connections between people…..

To learn of further Shed initiatives, watch this space!


Tracey Edstein

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