The ALP has promised, if elected it would provide Queensland Men Sheds with funding, and one Logan City Men Shed said any funding would help them help Logan City men with their mental health.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has promised a $450,000 funding injection over the next three years to support an executive officer position, putting the association on a path to ongoing sustainability and supporting thousands of men across Queensland.
Logan City Community Men Shed president Paul Anderson said Men Sheds were a vital part of the community.
“It’s a place for local men to come when they have nowhere else to go,” Mr Anderson said.
“Even if you’re just coming to sit and have a cuppa and chat.
“It’s about having a sense of community and some mates to catch up with.
“The worst thing for your mental health is to be stuck at home by yourself. We’ve helped a lot of local men out with their mental health. Depression is the biggest one we see.”
The Logan City Community Men Shed has grown exponentially in the past few months.
It went from only having eight members at the time of the Queensland Covid lockdown, to now having over 50 members.
“More and more men are looking for places to go and things to do,” Mr Anderson said.
“We also do a lot around the community. We find the best thing for your mental health is do things to help out others. Especially with company.
“We have sausage sizzles here every Friday lunch time, we’re starting up doing sausage sizzles at Bunnings again, we’ve been making bird boxes and possum boxes and other works for our native wildlife, and we help domestic violence victims.”
Mr Anderson said if they were to receive any government funding they would spend it on a variety of things.
“We want to get a ute to help us move furniture for domestic violence victims,” he said.
“We also want a social worker in here to run a mental health workshop. Especially for us who are here everyday.
“Although we get a lot of locals coming here struggling with depression, mental health issues, and some are even suicidal, none of us actually have any training to deal with that stuff. We’ve been doing our best and have helped a lot but it would be nice to have some kind of health training.”
Mr Anderson said they are always open to new members, and they even have a few women on board now.
“Please drop by for a cuppa if you’re interested in joining,” he said.
You can find the Logan City Community Men Shed at 161b Magnesium Drive, Crestmead Qld 4132
