Ten years ago a community member asked a local business man if Stawell had a Men's Shed.

That businessman, Terry Dunn didn't know about Men's Sheds but investigated and gathered some others to start it off. A decade later and the Stawell Men’s Shed is thriving.

The Men's Shed is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and is a place for community members to gather and catch up with each other as well as to learn new skills. 

Stawell Men’s Shed member John Bradley said the organisation has enjoyed great community support.

'We have received incredible support from Stawell Regional Health right from the start, and many other community organisations have helped us as well, they see that we are a health promotion organisation providing a safe place for men, (and more recently women) to come along and create friendships, learn skills and receive support, John Bradley said. 

Birthday celebrations consist of a tour of the shed and a barbecue lunch.

The whole community is invited to help celebrate the Stawell Men’s Shed’s 10^th birthday. 

The Australian Men’s Shed association described the modern Men’s Shed as an updated version of the shed in the backyard that has long been a part of Australian culture. Men’s Sheds are found in many cities and towns around Australia and continue to spring up internationally.

Not all Men’s Sheds are the same – if you looked inside you might see a number of men making furniture, perhaps restoring bicycles for a local school, making Mynah bird traps, fixing lawn mowers or making a cubby house for Camp Quality to raffle. You might also see a few young men working with the older men obtaining new skills and learning something about life from the men with whom they work.

For more information on the Stawell Men’s Shed, phone (03) 5358 2384.