Coffs Men’s Shed Acquires New Toy

Woodworking enthusiasts at the Coffs Harbour Community Men’s Shed have a new toy to play with thanks to a grant of $4370 from ETC.

Shed Manager Robert Houston said the money was used to purchase a thicknesser.

“A thicknesser is an essential woodworking machine designed to produce perfectly flat boards of timber of constant thickness,” Mr Houston said.

“Our new thicknesser replaces a machine that was really noisy, not very accurate and nearly 100 years old.

“We are confident with the new machine we will be able to produce better quality timber items with the joints closer together, everything stronger and the overall finished product much better.”

Mr Houston said there were 100 members of the Coffs Harbour Community Men’s Shed, including retirees, unemployed people and people with disabilities, whom meet on a regular basis to make things, fix things and support one another.

“The Men’s Shed is an important meeting place which provides a friendly environment where men of different interests, ages, and cultures come together to socialise, share life experiences and skills.

“Loneliness and social isolation are major issues in our community, particularly among men, and that’s why having a Men’s Shed is so valuable.”

ETC Director Simon Reid said it was a pleasure to be able to support the Coffs Harbour Community Men’s Shed.

“The ETC Community Support Fund is designed to help organisations improve the social and economic development of local communities,” Mr Reid said.

“ETC is proud to be a not-for-profit company and we are confident the money we are donating will help make a more positive future for our community.

“Since 1989, ETC has placed over 51,000 Australians into jobs, trained more than 23,000 people, helped over 34,000 small businesses to start-up and grow, and contributed in excess of $25 million to the local communities in which we operate.”