Grant offers new opportunities for Cherbourg Men’s Shed

Cherbourg Men’s Shed will provide opportunities for its members to explore woodworking and make new social connections with a $13,000 grant through the Liberal and Nationals Government’s Stronger Communities Programme, Federal Member for Wide Bay and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Llew O’Brien announced today.

Mr O’Brien said the Cherbourg Men’s Shed will use the grant to purchase a mobile timber bandsaw mill for members and community use, which will allow them to collect timber from the local area and building sites that would otherwise go to waste, and turn it into creative products ranging from chopping boards to picnic tables.

“The Cherbourg Men’s Shed plays a valuable role in the local community, providing a social outlet for men to get together and have a yarn, and find support while also picking up new hobbies or skills,” Mr O’Brien said.

“This grant for a mobile mill will enable them to source their own timber rather than purchasing it, which reduces waste and will also reduce the costs of this volunteer-run organisation.”

Cherbourg Men’s Shed director Wayne Farrell thanked Mr O’Brien for the assistance.

“This will make a big difference to the Shed because we’ll be able to get timber like ironbark more easily for projects like making picnic benches for community areas, and it gives our younger members a way to get involved,” Mr Farrell said.

“They can come down to the Men’s Shed and talk about how they’re going, mental health, what’s happening at home, and have experiences that they may not otherwise come across, and they know they have somewhere to go when things are tough.”

The grant was provided through Round 7 of the Stronger Communities Programme, which is delivering $22.7 million to community organisations in Australia, delivering investment in regional areas, supporting jobs to drive our economic recovery, and ensuring our regions remain great places to live and visit.

“The Coalition Government is continuing to back regional and remote communities, investing in opportunities for them to get ahead and prosper into the future as well as delivering much-needed infrastructure and equipment, and supporting local jobs,” Mr O’Brien said.

Through the Stronger Communities Program, the Government has provided more than $135 million in total  for projects for community-building and job-creating projects across Australia.

More information is available at business.gov.au/scp