The Men’s Program at Capalaba’s Shed 27 is now firing on all cylinders, with members turning out weekly to work on a range of projects, including restoring vintage vehicles to their former glory.
A project of the not-for-profit organisation Briswest Care, Shed 27, which opened last year, provides a community hub that focuses on steel fabrication and vehicle restoration, while bringing together people of diverse cultural groups, ages and gender.
The Shed 27 project joins the organisation’s other programs and services, including the well known Sail Away program, which, completely volunteer-driven, provides life-changing, outdoor adventures for young people with foster care and other disadvantaged backgrounds.
Shed 27 Men’s Program coordinator Dave O’Keefe, of Capalaba, said members gathered at the shed every Tuesday to share some “fun, food, relationship and some work along the way”.
“If folk have a project that they want to work on themselves, it’s acceptable that they come here and do it; and they can make a donation if they need any equipment or tools,” he said.
“We also work to restore vehicles.”
Dave said the men had pulled apart a 1973 Land Rover Series 3 late last year to clean and repaint it, and were now preparing to restore it.
He said the men also worked on Wednesdays and Thursdays with disadvantaged students from two local high schools.
“The students come here to work under the direction of the members,” Dave said.
“There’s a car here for each of those schools, and the guys come in and work on each of them, and our members work with them, guiding them and helping them with jobs they can’t do themselves.”
Dave said the Men’s Program also included carrying out maintenance jobs at the shed, training workshops ona diverse range of topics, including how to use the shed equipment, a bi-weekly pot luck dinner, and more.
He said men of all ages, whether retired, semi-retried, employed or unemployed, were welcome to enquire about joining the program.
Shed 27 founder Shane Gilchrist commended the men on their work at the shed and said the program, which attracted no government funding, always welcomed volunteer enquiries and donations of materials, equipment and money.
For more information, visit briswestcare.org.au or to enquire about the Shed 27 Men’s Program contact Dave O’Keefe on 0411 243 188.