Les Liddington, left, Doug Grayling and Te Awamutu Menzshed president Richard Cato look through copies of Sheddies.
A new book nearly two years in the making has been produced by the Te Awamutu Menzshed as members look to kick start fundraising efforts towards redeveloping their engineering shed.
Te Awamutu Menzshed started 11 years ago – in 2012 – and a Menzshed trust was formed two years later.
Colin Hall, friends with John and Ann Perry, had a dream to establish a Menzshed in Te Awamutu after hearing about what was happening in the Menzshed network in Australia.
Today in Te Awamutu, up to 20 men regularly attend Menzshed gatherings – about 40 are on its books.
The engineering shed – a 1950s garage – is one of three buildings on the organisation’s Raeburne St site.
The new book, Sheddies, was launched at a function at Te Awamutu Bowling Club this week, after The News went to print.
Sheddies has been compiled by Menzshed president Richard Cato and edited by shed member and writer Kingsley Field and shares the “stories and
yarns” of 12 shed members, as written by those members.
Proceeds from the sales of the 500 copies in the initial print run, which will be distributed nationwide through the network of more than 100 Menzsheds
around New Zealand, will be put towards the redevelopment.
Cato said some copies will make it as far as Australia and Ireland because Te Awamutu members have friends who are part of MenzShed overseas.
“We don’t have any idea of costs of timeframes at the moment,” Richard told The News of the redevelopment project.
“But increasing membership means it’s something we need to do.”
The Menzshed concept involves providing men with a place to socialise.
One of the key projects undertaken in Te Awamutu has been a $50,000 extension of the shed lounge, more than doubling it in size.
