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Men’s Sheds are community spaces where men can socialise through a range of activities. Whether it's working on a community or personal project, Men's Sheds offer the opportunity for men to get together and learn from each other.
The 4 Men's Sheds in Boroondara primarily offer woodworking, but some also run other activities.
Alamein Men's Shed
Where: 49 Ashburn Grove, Ashburton.
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 am to 1:30 pm.
Activities include woodworking and socialising with other shed participants who come from a range of backgrounds and ages (from 18 to 90 years). Anyone can join, but preference is given to City of Boroondara residents.
For further information or to arrange a visit, contact Alamein Neighbourhood and Learning Centre on (03) 9885 9401.
Kew Men's Shed
Where: Kew Neighbourhood Learning Centre, 2-12 Derby Street, Kew.
When: Wednesday and Friday 10 am to 3 pm (during school term).
The Kew Men’s Shed provides a place to:
- work on your own project
- fix something
- help with maintenance jobs
- contribute to special projects.
For more information, call (03) 9853 3126 or visit the Kew Neighbourhood Learning Centre website.
Hawthorn Men's Shed
Where: 93 - 95 Elgin Street, Hawthorn (behind the Uniting AgeWell Centre).
When: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 3 pm.
Hawthorn Men’s Shed is open to anyone 65 years or older in the community and offers a great variety of tools and a fantastic space to work in.
Activities include:
- woodworking
- gardening
- art class
- regular lunches and bbqs.
Drop by if you would like to tackle a new project or have a job you would like a hand with.
If you are interested in joining or would like more information, email [email protected] or call (03) 9815 0155.
North Balwyn Community Men's Shed
Where: 60A Buchanan Avenue, North Balwyn.
When: Monday, Thursday and Friday from 9:30am to 1:30pm
Located next to North Balwyn Bowling Club, the purpose-built facility is open to everyone, particularly men who are:
- retired or semi-retired
- socially isolated
- not working full time
- experiencing ill health or have a disability.
Activities include:
- woodwork
- computer skills
- cooking
- men’s health forums
- fellowship events.
You can also bring along home projects you're working on.
For more information, visit the North Balwyn Men's Shed website. You can also email [email protected] or call (03) 9859 2582.
Starting a Men's shed
We support and encourage the development of Men's Sheds in Boroondara by providing advice, referrals, information on funding and brokering partnerships.
If you are interested in starting a Men's shed, there are 2 stages in the process.
Stage 1 - meet with a Council officer
The first stage in the process is to organise a meeting with us, so we can:
- discuss your target group and proposed activities
- provide advice on the areas of greatest need (currently Balwyn, Balwyn North and Deepdene)
- connect you with organisations that already run Men’s Sheds to discuss opportunities for adding new members or setting up a partnership to establish a new shed
- help you identify sources of financial support
- help you find volunteers through the Boroondara Volunteer Resource Centre (find out more on our Volunteering page).
If you're interested in setting up a Men's Shed and would like to set up a meeting with us or get more information, you can email [email protected] or call us on (03) 9278 4444.
Stage 2 - create a proposal
If you want to set up a Men's Shed in Council buildings or on Council-owned land, you'll need to demonstrate that you have:
- support from members for a Men’s Shed
- a willingness to set up in an area identified as high need
- plans to include men with disabilities and those who are isolated, unemployed, and from culturally diverse backgrounds
- the capacity to secure funding
- the ability to secure insurance through the Australian Men’s Shed Association.
This information forms part of a business case or proposal, which shows your contribution to the project. We can help you develop this.
For more information, read through our Men's Shed Strategic Framework available in the Downloads section on this page.
Download our Men's shed strategic framework
Funding for Men's sheds
Several sources of funding may be available for setting up and running a Men's Shed, including:
- The Victorian Government provides ongoing funding of $1 million per year - learn more on the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing website
- The Australian Men's Shed Association administers an Australian Government grants program and provides important information to help groups establish and run Men's Sheds - find out more on the Australian Men's Shed Association website
- Men's Sheds organisations are eligible to apply for our Triennial Operational Grants under the Healthy Community grant stream to support activities such as purchasing materials or funding a special program - find out more on our Healthy Community Grants page
- For buildings that are owned by Council, we may consider helping with building or retrofitting an existing shed.
We also encourage applicants to source funding for a Men's Shed coordinator from partners, and philanthropic and service organisations.
The results of our 2014 survey on Men’s Sheds may be useful for organisations looking to establish their own. You can read through our Men's Shed survey 2014 - results summary available in the Downloads section on this page.
Download our Men's Shed survey 2014 - results summary
More information
For more information on Men's Sheds, see the Australian Men's Shed Association website.