Men’s Shed members: Dennis Vousfield, Athol Cairn, Bertie Boxsell, Mick Finster, Ken Pearsall, Len Dopsen.
The Harden Murrumburrah Men’s Shed hosted the Men’s Shed Alliance group meeting on Saturday morning at the SES Building in Neill St. In attendance were members from Men’s Sheds in Cootamundra, Temora, Grenfell, Boorowa, Canowindra and Harden Murrumburrah. The group meet quarterly with participating Sheds hosting on a rotational basis. Participating members discuss points of common interest, ideas, issues and always enjoy the informal discussions over lunch following the meeting. Attending Sheds report on how they have assisted their local communities and any ideas on fund raising, as all sheds are non profit organisations that rely on donations and grants to meet expenses.
An example of a recent community project that involved in part all members of the Alliance Group was the making of transport storage boxes for machinery used by Blaze Aid. At the meeting, Local Council assistance was raised by a member of the Harden Murrumburrah Men’s Shed. All of the attending Shed’s, barring Harden Murrumburrah, advised that their local councils provided assistance with rates both general and water/sewerage. Some councils have also provided land as well as assistance in kind. Unfortunately Harden Murrumburrah could not say the same with their shed having to pay all rates together with commercial rates for waste collection as well as rent to the ARTC for the premises in both East St and Stair St. Following these discussions myself and other members of Harden Murrumburrah Men’s Shed were left with an impression that the Harden Shire Council have no appreciation of the work the Shed does to assist the local community.
William McCaskill
