The Men’s Bizz group finally has a place to call its own.
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Coordinator Trevor Hughes said before the opening of the new Men's and Community Shed at Rocherlea, the Men’s Bizz group was working out of two shipping containers.
Mr Hughes said previously to get to work, the men would have to go through the time-consuming processes of unlocking the containers, taking everything out, and setting it up. At the end of the day, they would have to clean and pack up, and lock the containers back up.
“Now, we have a workshop,” he said.
Mr Hughes said it had taken about two years for the shed to be built, and he was now looking forward to the group’s future at their new site.
“I’m hoping for big things,” he said.
“I see it evolving as a place where you can come along and work on projects with us all, come and have a chat and a coffee.
“The back part of the building – it’ll be a hub for the men.”
Northern Suburbs Community Centre manager Denise Delphin said she was overwhelmed to see the shed up-and-running.
“It’s been such a busy, wonderful time of year, and I’m finding myself actually getting a little bit emotional. It’s wonderful, it really is,” she said.
“The whole purpose and the start of the journey was to find a home for the men’s shed. We’ve done that and more.”
Ms Delphin said though the shed was located at King Billy Park at Rocherlea, it was an asset for the whole Northern suburbs community.
“I think what comes into my mind is what a wonderful asset it’ll be for the community at Rocherlea, and for the whole community,” she said.
“It’ll evolve and change and develop, I think, as the community wants it to.”
Ms Delphin said all the people at the official opening on November 11 were people that had worked alongside the community and the Northern suburbs as supporters, stakeholders, and funders.
“They’re people who really embrace working with the Northern suburbs community,” she said.
Funding from the project was secured from the Department of State Growth and the City of Launceston.
Support was also given by the City of Launceston in the lease of the land, and by the Cape Hope Foundation.