MIDLAND Men’s Shed will move into its new premises over the Christmas break and will still meet throughout the holiday period.
For the Christmas lunch on December 13, the men were presented with a cheque from Brookfield Rail leaders who said the money could be used for anything the men needed.
Men’s Shed president Dave Savage said the money would be spent on dust extraction at the new premises to collect the woodwork and metalwork dust created from the machines in the activities rooms.
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READ NOW“It will take a few weeks to finalise the move and in the meantime we will continue to meet here,” he said at the Bellevue Baptist Church Hall.
So far this year Brookfield Rail has donated to men’s sheds in Katanning, Northam, Bunbury, Kalgoorlie, Narrogin and Midland.
The Men’s Shed had a Christmas lunch for more than 90 people last week.
Invited guests included Hasluck MHR Ken Wyatt, Midland MLA Michelle Roberts and East Metropolitan MLA Alyssa Hayden, and Swan councillors Ian Johnson and Daniel Parasiliti, along with Mayor Mick Wainwright.
Mr Savage thanked everybody for attending and especially Alyssa Hayden, Mick Wainwright and Cr Parasiliti for their help in getting the men a shed in the Midvale Clubrooms in Swan Avenue until the new facility is built in the Cornwell House Association complex.
He said the issue of finding a venue for the group had been a vexed one for six years.
“We were the Men’s Shed without a shed,” he said.
The Midland group had been meeting in the Bellevue Baptist Church Hall since it formed six years ago and its numbers have grown each week.
The group now has a new and temporary home until the Cornwell house complex, expected to house a number of meeting groups, is built.
Cr Wainwright was especially praised for his help in finding the men a home.
“Once the mayor knew about it and started asking a few questions things moved quickly,” Mr Savage said.
Men’s Shed member Harry Barden, an accomplished artist, gave Alyssa Hayden one of his paintings in gratitude for her support of the men and assistance in finding their group a new home.