Leschenault Men’s Shed unveils new upgraded facilities

The Leschenault Men’s Shed has unveiled its new shed after a funding boost for the facility, allowing it to be more accessible and to now include a computer room.

The new 420sqm shed has a presentation room, two new bathrooms including an accessible toilet and new accessible parking.

The new facilities also include a computer room, which they aim to use to educate members on how to use technology and to do things such as online banking.

The upgrades used a $366,878 grant from Lotterywest, funding from the Shire of Harvey, and a commitment from the Member for Collie-Preston Jodie Hanns MLA.

Glen Dunkerton from The Regional Men’s Health Initiative spoke on the importance of men’s sheds as a place where men can better their mental health and open up in a way that has traditionally been hard for older men.

“We’re about 35 years behind women, they decided years ago that a gendered approach to mental health was the way to go, and it’s shown having a men’s mental health policy has helped get better results,” he said.

“Places like these are really important — blokes typically have a hard time sitting face-to-face with someone and opening up, but feeling like you can sit side by side with your mates and work together has really made a difference.”

Leschenault Men’s Shed president Paul Fonick said the upgraded facilities won’t just be a place for coming together and tinkering, it will also be used to help educate the older generations.

Shire of Harvey president Michelle Campbell said the upgrades were an investment in the future and a much-needed boost to the facilities in Australind.

“On behalf of the Shire, congratulations to Paul Fonick and your really hard working committee team and all the members,” she said.

“It’s a wonderful outcome that will be enjoyed by many people today, tomorrow and well into the future.”

The shed is also the new home for the Australind Lions Club, who will share the now double-sized facility.