Lake Hāwea resident Errol Carr is hoping a new Men’s Shed will connect men across the community and facilitate a ‘mateship’ opportunity.

Errol hopes the Hāwea Men’s Shed will be operational by the end of this year, which would make it the fourteenth shed in the Otago region. 

The group will have the opportunity to become a member of New Zealand’s representative body MENZSHED, a registered entity which brings men together to share skills, have a laugh and work on personal and community projects.

A small steering group has been formed and interest is sought from Hāwea men who can provide some structure to help get the shed up and running.

“Those interested don’t need to do anything or bring anything other than themselves. We will figure things out along the way, and definitely put our Hāwea stamp on it,” Errol said.

The Men’s Shed would operate in a similar fashion to Wānaka’s MenShed’, which opened in May 2021, however the Hāwea group is placing focus on men from all career stages (working or retired) and all ages.

“We have a very diverse population in Hāwea. We hope the Men’s Shed could facilitate the sharing of skills and experiences between our residents, and work on some projects together that can benefit our community,” Errol said.

The Lake Hāwea Community Centre is the focal point for the Hāwea community, hosting line dancing, family nights and meet and greets for new residents. Over the past few months, the community centre committee has noticed a lack of opportunities for men looking to connect with others and fill their spare time.

“The Men’s Shed will help to bring people back together, and perhaps to bring some creative opportunities with it,” he said.

To get involved in the Men’s Shed steering group contact him on [email protected]