BATEAU BAY MEN’S SHED
ANNUAL REPORT – 21 September 2010
Welcome everyone to the 2nd AGM of the Bateau Bay Men’s Shed.
It gives me great pleasure to present the Shed Presidents Report to you this afternoon after what has been a very productive year.
I would like to begin my report by voicing publically my thanks to Colleen Cooper, Kevin Armstrong and Nigel Stretton for the untold work they have done behind the scenes for this past year.
Colleen is our link with ADSSI and without their magnificent support this Shed would be a fraction of what we have today. It has not only been the monetary support that Colleen has been instrumental in obtaining on our behalf, and that is what most members see around them, but it has been the advice and personal support that I have found to be very important.
Kevin as Secretary has constantly trawled the Internet seeking out grant options and then putting his wordsmith skills to good use in completing the applications. He has also been our ‘go to man’ when technical matters of Shed governance have been sought.
As Treasurer Nigel has balanced our accounts every month and has ensured our bills are paid on time. Despite the help he gets each morning when he opens the “piggy bank” he has kept his composure and has seen us end the year with a healthy credit balance.
Those of you who were members before our 1st AGM will look back on the year and remember how the Shed was then and how much it has developed in 12 months. This is a result of our members who see this place as ‘their Shed’, take a personal interest in its operation and work toward its growth. Everyone here today should be proud of what they have helped to achieve in such a short time. I believe our rapid growth in membership is a result of the welcoming nature of all our members and men feel comfortable in belonging to a group that gets things done while at the same time making individuals welcome.
Due to attendance pressures we are now open 3 days per week and while Tuesday and Thursday remain the busy days attendances on Wednesday are increasing as men see this day as an opportunity to have more space in which to work and have easier access to machines. There is also a better selection of morning teacakes with less hungry mouths to feed. Thanks must be paid to our bakery suppliers, Legends Bakery at Wyong and Killarney Vale Bakery for helping to keep our sugar and cholesterol levels in the high bands. During the first 6 months the Shed was open the average attendance on a Tuesday was 17 and on Thursdays was 16 while for the second 6 months average attendances were 27 for Tuesdays and 21 for Thursdays. Giving us an average for the year of 22 on Tuesdays and 18 on Thursdays.
Earlier this year we arranged for Hearing Australia to visit and test our hearing, this in turn led to a recommendation for a couple of men to arrange further testing.
The Shed was to the fore in supporting Dave Betts from Mingara Club when to promote men’s health he paddled from Port Macquarie to The Entrance. He has plans to repeat the paddle again and I am sure our support will again be strong.
In May this Shed was well represented at a seminar informing disability providers about the role Men’s Sheds have in our community and delegates inspected this Shed as part of their days program.
During Seniors Week a successful BBQ was held which resulted in additional awareness of the Shed and as a result our membership numbers increased. An application has been made to repeat the function during Seniors Week 2011 with a BBQ on each of the 3 days we are open.
A major fund raising project, which led to an ongoing healthy relationship, was the November BBQ initiative from Woolworths Bateau Bay during Men’s Health Month. A new manager will be taking up his position in the Bateau Bay store next week but already the current manager has plans in place to ensure a similar promotion occurs during this November.
An outing to the Australian Maritime Museum was very well attended and thanks to David Boulton we gained free access to the floating displays. David is now arranging another trip to inspect the HMB Endeavour replica before it sails around Australia.
During the year we have been approached by a number of community groups and business enterprises to make or repair items. In partnership with Wild Life Arc the Possum Box project saw a production line in full swing and having sold the first 11 a second run is now needed. Members have accepted responsibility for projects such as folding notice boards for Wyong Knitwits, adjustable signs for a motor bike rally, the repair of football trophies, the making of 45 computer stands, the construction of a magazine cupboard for the Bateau Bay Bowling Club and the modification of 3 Table tennis tables for Vision Australia (formally the Royal Blind Society). The staff at Tuggerah Lakes Community Centre have realized there is a skilled group of men on site who can be called on at a moments notice for small jobs.
As a member of the Tuggerah Lakes Community Centre Tenants Committee we have agreed to repair the parking signs, repaint the car parking bays and have arranged for a Men’s Shed sign to be fixed to the notice board at the street entry.
During the year we approached the Tumbi Umbi Campus of Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College and offered to present a perpetual trophy to a male student showing excellence in Technology. This offer has been gladly accepted.
Brooke Carter, a young mother with cancer, came to the attention of our Shed during the year and Mark on our behalf approached a number of businesses seeking support for a charity fund raising event. As a Shed we donated items for auction and booked a corporate table for the evening.
Sadly this year we farewelled 2 of our members Allen Booth, who was one of our earliest members, and Ian Fuller. We miss them both.
In the near future we hope to see the erection of the awning at the front, and perhaps even the side of the Shed and this will provide additional working space as well as an undercover entertainment and storage area. The development of the metal shop and the ‘small engines’ bay will be a priority now that a dedicated group of men are making constant use of the area. When the Sheds workshop set-ups are complete there will hopefully be a period during the coming year when more time can be allocated to individual and community projects.
I conclusion I would like to publically thank the Shed Committee for their support during the year. I have already singled out Colleen Kevin and Nigel but I also want to thank the other members of the Bateau Bay Men’s Shed Committee, Graham, David, Mark and Bruce for their continuing support and initiative. Bateau Bay Men’s Shed is running like a well-oiled machine and it is due largely to the members of the Committee and all members in general for this because each and every one brings something different to our Shed with their ideas, skills, companionship and energy all adding to the enjoyment of being members of this Shed.
I wish the incoming Executive and Management Committee a successful year ahead confident in the knowledge that the Sheds culture has been firmly established.
John Sharples
President
Bateau Bay Men’s Shed
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