By Dongyun Kwon
Badger Creek and District Men’s Shed is looking forward to having a new staircase thanks to the Men’s Shed Funding Program from the State Government.
The Men’s Shed will receive over $7000 as part of the funding program.
Badger Creek and District Men’s Shed president Alan Jones said the grant would help them pay half of the cost to replace the old staircase.
“It’s excellent and we’re wrapped in it,” Mr Jones said.
“It’s given us an opportunity to do something we’ve wanted to do for some years.”
The current staircase is steep and narrow so it is difficult to access for people who are infirm.
“We did put a chair [stairlift] here, but because the staircase was so narrow, that restricted access to go up and down,” Mr Jones said.
“What we’ve decided to do is to put a wider and a lot less steep staircase in to make it easier for access even for the people who have difficulty.”
There are currently more than 360 communities across Victoria with men’s sheds throughout Victoria.
The Victorian Government has proudly provided 487 grants to Men’s Sheds since 2015.
Carers and volunteers minister Ros Spence said Men’s Sheds provide a welcoming place to learn new skills, contribute to the community and improve mental health and wellbeing.
“These grants help to establish new Men’s Sheds, complete repairs, and make improvements that ensure they are safe, remain fit for purpose, and are accessible to all members,” she said.
