Waikato Business News | March 1, 2024
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2 MAY <strong>2024</strong><br />
Editor<br />
Roy Pilott<br />
027 450 0115<br />
<strong>News</strong><br />
Mary Anne Gill<br />
021 705 213<br />
Viv Posselt<br />
027 233 7686<br />
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viv@goodlocal.nz<br />
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David Mackenzie<br />
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<strong>Waikato</strong> <strong>Business</strong> <strong>News</strong> is published by Good Local<br />
Media Limited.<br />
Also publishers of<br />
Shedding some light<br />
Menz Sheds are enjoying a growing profile in <strong>Waikato</strong> communities – we look at<br />
why they are regarded as important.<br />
The demands for a place for<br />
men to be with other men<br />
is increasing every year,<br />
especially among older men as<br />
more and more of them reach<br />
retirement age.<br />
Last year it was recognised by<br />
the World Health Organisation<br />
that loneliness affects a<br />
substantial portion of men over<br />
the age of 50, and I Canada,<br />
58 per cent of men in this age<br />
bracket reported experiencing<br />
loneliness. Similar figures<br />
apply across New Zealand and<br />
Australia.<br />
Loneliness has been identified<br />
as a major killer of older men,<br />
and is said to be responsible<br />
for more sickness, suffering, and<br />
death than any other cause.<br />
In both New Zealand and<br />
worldwide membership of<br />
Menz Sheds is increasingly<br />
being seen as a major method of<br />
combatting such loneliness, and<br />
with helping men cope more<br />
easily with a range of illnesses<br />
that regularly confront older<br />
males.<br />
“As men get older, they often<br />
face major changes in their<br />
lives,” says Te Awamutu Menz<br />
Shed chairman Richard Cato.<br />
“They can suddenly find<br />
themselves with nothing to do<br />
due to retirement, through loss<br />
of a partner or close friends,<br />
geographical separation from<br />
family, or health issues. And<br />
they often have smaller circles of<br />
friends than women do, so they<br />
get less opportunity to share<br />
their concerns with others,” he<br />
says.<br />
“Many older couples find that<br />
when one or other retires, the<br />
sudden closeness with each other<br />
all the time creates difficulties.<br />
So, joining up with a Menz Shed<br />
gives the man a chance to escape<br />
the stresses of ‘the underfoot<br />
syndrome’. It also provides<br />
his wife with some ‘breathing<br />
space’ as well. We often find<br />
that women are among the most<br />
ardent supporters of Sheds,”<br />
says Cato.<br />
He says some men join a Shed<br />
“just for the pleasure of having<br />
a mug tea and a yarn with other<br />
blokes”. But they can also find<br />
that talking helps cope with<br />
stress or health problems. There<br />
is a growing understanding that<br />
“keeping an eye on each other”<br />
is all part of the value of being<br />
Shed members.<br />
It is noted that in Australia,<br />
where there are about<br />
1300 Men’s Sheds, the<br />
Federal Government is now<br />
acknowledging the considerable<br />
social and health values of the<br />
organisation and has been<br />
providing grants annually since<br />
2010 to assist individual Sheds<br />
continue important work in<br />
helping with men’s wellbeing.<br />
Late last year it gave $500,000<br />
to be used by nearly 90 sheds<br />
across the country on such<br />
projects as organising dementia<br />
awareness sessions, healthy<br />
cooking classes, the purchase<br />
of new tools, hosting health<br />
and practical workshops, yoga<br />
classes, and CPR refresher<br />
training courses.<br />
There are now more than125<br />
Sheds throughout New Zealand,<br />
with at least 2500 members.<br />
Numbers are increasing every<br />
month. Across the <strong>Waikato</strong>,<br />
there are 15 Menz Sheds - one<br />
in most towns, with Cambridge<br />
being the newest.<br />
Morrinsville, which recently<br />
built a large new Shed, has<br />
increased its membership by 25<br />
per cent in the past two months.<br />
Now, with the extra space, they<br />
can offer more services for the<br />
members. Their shed includes<br />
a large smoko room, ideal<br />
for health professionals and<br />
supporting services to meet with<br />
the men.<br />
“The great value of these<br />
Sheds is that they are a safe<br />
and relaxed place for men to go,<br />
to enjoy companionship, and to<br />
quietly seek help with health<br />
and wellbeing issues if they want<br />
to,” Cato says.<br />
“Sheddies, as they are known,<br />
often work on community<br />
projects, personal tasks, and<br />
carry out repairs on all sorts<br />
of items for<br />
members of the<br />
public. Carpenters<br />
and engineers<br />
help lawyers,<br />
accountants, and<br />
teachers gain<br />
Richard Cato<br />
new skills, and in return they<br />
sometimes learn professional<br />
skills. The comradeship between<br />
men from all walks of life is<br />
wonderful,” he says.<br />
“Menz Sheds are places<br />
where men can contribute<br />
to their communities, have a<br />
sense of belonging, and create<br />
a meaningful purpose, coupled<br />
together with old-fashioned<br />
mateship.”<br />
Information on the Menz<br />
Shed movement can be found<br />
here – menzshed.org.nz<br />
This newspaper is subject to NZ Media Council<br />
procedures. A complaint must first be directed in<br />
writing, within one month of publication, to the<br />
editor’s email address.<br />
If not satisfied with the response, the complaint<br />
may be referred to the Media Council P O Box 10-<br />
879, The Terrace, Wellington 6143. Or use the online<br />
complaint form at www.mediacouncil.org.nz<br />
Please include copies of the article and all<br />
correspondence with the publication.<br />
“Sheddies” busy working in their new Morrinsville home.<br />
Tim van de Molen<br />
Your MP for <strong>Waikato</strong><br />
Backing <strong>Waikato</strong> <strong>Business</strong>es<br />
Tim.vandeMolenMP@parliament.govt.nz<br />
0800 GET TIM (0800 438 846)<br />
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