Men’s Shed

Mooloolah Community Men’s Shed Inc. History

In September 2015 the Mooloolah Valley Community Association Inc Vice President, Bernie Verwayen OAM, flagged an idea at an MVCA Management Committee Meeting, to investigate establishing a Men’s Shed at the rear of the Mooloolah Community Centre The Committee at the time headed by the late Alan O’Callaghan, and all agreed this was a worthwhile project for the Mooloolah Community Association Inc to take on.
 
Permission was sought from Education Qld (owners of the site 43-47 Bray Road Mooloolah Valley) to build a Men’s Shed and on 18/07/2018, Trevor Schultz, Infrastructure Manager for North Coast Region Ed. Qld gave written permission for the project to go ahead.The search for funding commenced, no easy task at the time; it took 3 years of searching without success.
 
At a Volunteer Awards event in 2018, Bernie asked Andrew Wallace MP for Fisher if there was any money available for an important project for Mooloolah Valley. We needed $250,000.00 to build a Men’s Shed; Andrew came back some weeks later and declared if the LNP won the upcoming Election in May 2019 he would give us the
funds.The LNP, against all odds, won the Election and Andrew kept his word. The then Secretary and grant writer at the time, Anita Verwayen sent a submission on behalf of the Mooloolah Valley Community Association Inc. to the Community Development Grants office in Canberra and MVCA was notified on 07/08/2019 of our success in
securing $250,000 for the project.
 
In 2019 the first public meeting was held in the Mooloolah Public Hall to form the Mooloolah Community Men’s Shed Committee, the inaugural President was John Holland.
On the 06/08/2020 the Formal Agreement was signed between MVCA Inc. and the Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development & Communications. Canberra.
 
The 1st part of the grant ($220,000) was received on 30/09/2020, and building commenced 10/06/2022.
Anita Verwayen (Secretary MVCA) managed the administration for the project, including liaising with the Community Development Grants team in Canberra, and local Government agencies. Natalie Pettingill (Treasurer MVCA Inc) managed the Grant money and all financial transactions, including liaising with the Poole Group (Auditors) for MVCA Inc. who audited the project’s financials. Three quotes were obtained by MCMS for the building, with the winning bid being Sunshine Sheds and Garages Caloundra (RANBUILD).
The groundworks were completed, slab poured and shed build commenced.
 
Bureaucratic red tape, Covid lockdowns, bad weather for 5 months, shortage of Tradies, hold ups with building materials from overseas, plan changes, huge increases in cost of steel and concrete, not factored into original quote, meant the project was running late and costs were blowing out. The Mooloolah Valley Community Association Inc. were steadfast in their support of the project and continued to supply funds as needed.
 
At the AGM held on 17/10/2020 a new Committee was voted in. The late Michael McMahon became the President.
The project continued with plumbing, drainage, electrics, internal fit-out all underway. Kitchen had been installed and the walls were being lined.
Disability pathway to carpark installed, garden beds created. The members of the Men’s Shed have all worked incredibly hard to get the project 90% finished.
Work continues and will for some time to get the shed completely finished. Plans are under way for the metal and woodwork sections.
 
The Grand Opening by Andrew Wallace MP for Fisher was held on April 12 2023. Andrew Powell MP for Glasshouse also attended along with 100 very happy locals.
On the 19/10/2023 the Acquittal Documents submitted were accepted by the CDG in Canberra and they signed off on the Project.
 
MVCA and MCMS are thrilled that together we were able to bring a Men’s Shed into our community, and we wish the Mooloolah Community Men’s Shed Association Inc all the very best in the future.

Mooloolah Community Men’s Shed Committee:

 

  • President: Daniel Johns
  • Vice President: Ron Flanigan
  • Treasurer: Paul Laurie
  • Secretary: Chuck Clutterbuck
  • Committee Members:
    • Trevor Stewart
    • Neil Sutton
    • Lindsay Price
    • Peter Mansfield
    • Dean Hall

Men of the Mooloolah Valley and surrounding areas will soon have a new place to socialise, support each other and contribute to the community with the construction on the long-awaited Mooloolah Valley Men’s Shed. 

The idea started in 2019, and then of course Covid happened, and everything got slowed down. 

After years of discussions, numerous setbacks and bureaucratic delays, the long-held vision for a Mooloolah Men’s Shed is finally set to become a reality, with a project completion date scheduled for mid-2023.

The shed was officially opened in April by Federal Member for Fisher Andrew Wallace, however final certification is pending some final minor issues. We are expecting the doors will be open in the coming weeks.

The shed is located directly behind the Mooloolah Community Centre. The shed is approximately 400m2 consisting of a woodworking space, a metal workspace, general meeting area, kitchen and office space.

The shed was paid for by a Federal Government grant of $250,000. It is built on land behind the existing Mooloolah Valley Community Centre.

Like many during the COVID crisis, older men in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland faced severe social isolation. However, for men in regional communities the opportunities to find a place where they belong, can contribute to their community, and talk to people like them in a familiar environment can be few and far between. 

By opening the Men’s Shed we have taken a major step forward in changing that in Mooloolah Valley and helping to support the mental and physical health of local men. The positive results will be felt in families across our region.

The new building will include workstations for a variety of wood and metal working equipment as well as social spaces.

This project is set to deliver a fantastic community facility for Mooloolah, and a proactive way to support the mental health and wellbeing of our men. The nearest existing Men’s Sheds are in Glasshouse Mountains and Maleny.

We look forward to creating a welcoming and safe space for our local men to connect and socialise with others, learn new skills, and explore hobbies and interests.

The MCMS association has around 60 members, ranging in age, and new members welcome. We are looking forward to see many more getting involved.

It’s great that we can give men a place to share skills, explore interests and hobbies and build relationships. A lot of men don’t naturally do that, so by offering a safe space for men to come together and connect we can also help support their mental health and wellbeing.

We would welcome the support of local businesses especially with the possibility of any businesses that may wish to become sponsors or assist in other ways.

Publicity Officer Daniel Johns said while he is relatively young in relation to some of the other members, he wanted to get involved with the Men’s Shed as he realised how important it was for local men to have a safe space to go to, a place where men could be comfortable to be able to talk freely, while encouraging a sense of belonging and value – especially in their community.

 “I joined because I want to be part of the community and have the opportunity to give back.

“I love the idea of being able to connect with the older men of our community because they have so many skills and a great deal of knowledge to share,” said Daniel.

 

To find out more or to get involved, contact MCMS Secretary Chuck Clutterbuck 0408 887 626.