Shed for secret men's business | Northern Rivers Community | Stories about People from Northern Rivers

MEN’S BUSINESS: Aged-care residents Willis Weis (left) and Alan Hartley in the new Men’s Shed, officially opened yesterday at Kyogle Hospital. The shed is already a second home to Mr Weis.

Janelle McLennan

THE past three weeks, Willis Weis has spent much of his free time pottering about the newly-built Men's Shed in the grounds of the residential aged-care wing of Kyogle Hospital.

The spritely 96-year-old heads out to the fully-equipped shed first thing in the morning and 'does a bit of cleaning up around the place' before finding a nice spot in the sun to have a cup of coffee.

If there are other men at the shed, the former dairy farmer will have a yarn with them; if not, he'll find something to do for himself.

Jacquie Stewart, activities officer for the aged-care wing, said the shed had become Willis's second home.

And that's more than okay with her.

Officially opened yesterday by North Coast Area Health Service chief executive Chris Crawford, the shed was built with the help of donations from the Lions Northern Rivers Community Trust, Casino and Kyogle Lions clubs, the Kyogle Rotary Club and the Kyogle RSL Sub-branch.

It was the brainchild of four former and current staff members - Jacqui Stewart, Paul Manning, Fay Palmer and Alison Jarrett - who were looking for ways to combat depression and feelings of isolation and uselessness suffered by formerly active older men living in aged-care facilities and in their own homes.

A men's shed seemed like the perfect solution.

“We wanted to create a place where the men could feel useful again and be among other men,” Ms Stewart said.

“A place where they can come together, get away from the female-dominated arena of aged care and discuss secret men's business, and maybe even work on a project.”

The Men's Shed, believed to be the first of its kind built at a North Coast Area Health Service facility, will be also open to older men in the wider community.