Elderly person during art therapy.
Former All Black Steve Gordon will encourage men to talk to each other about their health at Te Awamutu Community Menz Shed’s inaugural men’s heath expo.
Encouraging men to talk about their health. Photo: Matthias Zomer, pexels.com
Gordon, a former Te Awamutu College pupil who was an All Black from 1989 to 1993, will give a half hour talk at the free event at the end of the month the Baptist Church in Teasdale St.
Gordon’s July 27 talk will follow time to chat with representatives of health groups, experts in Alzheimer’s, dementia, and mental health as well as Diabetes New Zealand, Prostate New Zealand, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation representatives.
Richard Cato
Te Awamutu Menz Shed chair Richard Cato said although the concept of a Menz Shed health expo was new to the town, men’s health and Menz Shed went together.
“Men’s health is the gist of the organisation,” he said.
Menz Shed members from Cambridge, Hamilton, Ōtorohanga Te Kūiti have been invited as well as members of service organisations such as Jaycees, Lions and Rotary.
Cato said everyone was welcome to the expo, especially men aged 50 plus, and wives.
“The greatest supporters of Menz Shed are the women who encourage their husbands to come to the shed,” Cato said.
“Nine times out of 10 they are lonely and loneliness and mental health go hand in hand. Men are terrible at talking about their health.”
Te Awamutu Menzshed members, front from left, Bevan Boddie, David Phillips, Malcolm Perano (at back) Graeme Watson and Bill Bailey last year..
Te Awamutu Community Menz Shed has been serving the community since 2010, a sort of Kiwi Repair Shop fixing much-loved family treasures, as well as taking commissions from the likes of Te Awamutu Scout Group for whom it is building wheel carts. The group started meeting in 2010 and more than 50 members now meet Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings in Raeburne St.
Cato said Te Awamutu businesses were great supporters of the Menz Shed.
“This expo is our way of giving something back.”
Entry is free, although gold coin donations will be asked for cups of tea throughout the morning.
“Men talk shoulder to shoulder, while they are having a cup of tea.”
They will have more opportunities to chat when the expo ends with a sausage sizzle at noon.
Elderly person during drawing therapy. Photo: Jiun-Je Lin, pexels.com
