About Us

Our History

Moora Men’s Shed came into being in 2012 and was incorporated in 2013 with Terry Bell as the first Chairman and some 12 financial members.

Its first, and until late 2019,’ home’, courtesy of the Central Midlands Agricultural Society, was the Wool and Sheep Pavilion at the Moora Recreation (and Show) Grounds,

In 2016 the Moora Shire Council agreed to provide land, adjacent to the Sheep and Wool Pavilion, for a new shed and the search began for funding.

Joint applications for funding were developed by the Shire and the Men’s Shed to W.A. Royalties for Regions (Community Grants; $50,000) and the WA Lotteries Commission ($350,000). These applications were strongly supported by the Moora Shire Council who agreed to also provide both cash and in-kind funding & a low interest local government funded loan to the Shed if required. The shed itself also set about raising funds from the local community.

The Lotteries Commission funding application specified that any new building would become a Shire asset and parts thereof would also be available for use by other community groups, ie, it would be a Community Facility, as well as the Moora Men’s Shed. The Central Midlands Agricultural Society and the Moora Netball Association were specifically listed as future users.

Both of the large funding applications were successful and in June, 2016 the design and planning of construction of the ‘Moora Community and Men’s Shed Facility’ began under the management and supervision of the Moora Shire. Some 4 years later the building is complete and in use, although an ‘official opening’ still awaits.

Our Objectives

A not-for–profit organisation that aims to

• advance the health and well-being of male members of the Moora Community,
• provide a safe, friendly environment where men feel they belong, can interact and communicate and
• allow members if they wish to work on meaningful projects in the company of other men

Our Membership

The Moora Men’s Shed is about mateship and inclusivity for ALL men. The 45 current members range in age from 30 to 84 and include a number of men with various forms of disability – intellectual, mental & physical, including dementia and early onset Alzeimers – as well as just old age (!). (In 2017 Moora Men’s Shed was listed as a Champion Disability Shed).

There are two types of membership – active and associate, with cost scaled accordingly. Active membership entitles a member to use all the shed facilities, including all the tools/equipment and machines available. Associate membership, excludes the use of tools/equipment & machines.

Mateship is intended to assist with member’s well-being and health. It can involve little more than just sharing a cuppa and a chat, or doing a jigsaw puzzle or crossword with or in the company of fellow members. For others it involves spending time working on some form of project (wood or metal work) in a shared workshop.

Mateship can at times also be sharing of learning at a workshop or a talk.

While membership for women is not specifically excluded many of the members prefer the shed stays predominantly as a “men’s shed”. This doesn’t exclude having the odd woman – or a few, join members for a cuppa (especially if they bring some scones or a cake!), join them at the occasional dinner or talk, profer informed advice on a specific topic or task – or help keep the books. Our disabled members ensure there are always women present as women are their predominant carers.

Tuesday and Thursday mornings (8.30 – 12.00) are the regular times for mateship in the shed, with some members staying after 12.00 to share lunch at a nominal cost.

The Shed is always seeking new members (death is inevitable!) and hopes that in future more working and younger men will join and the shed will regularly be open at weekends and/or at night. There is also the possibility of wood and/or metal work sessions for women.

Our Shed Management

The Shed is managed by a committee consisting of the Executive (Chairman, Vice-Chairmen, Secretary and Treasurer) and 4 other members. These four members are the Shed Boss, Project Manager, Storeman and a General Member Rep. One of the eight, excluding the chairman, takes on the role of Health and Safety Officer. The Management Committee meet as required to decide issues arising.

There is a regular bi-monthly meeting on a Thursday open to all members. Minutes from management committee meetings, a report from the President and a financial report are presented and discussed as necessary. Items of general interest and issues brought forward by individual members can also be discussed, referred to the Management Committee or decisions made.

The Management Committee appoint someone (member or non-member) who has experience or knowledge of the tools and equipment in the shed to accredit members for their use of tools and equipment.

There are two members who share the role of Publicity Officer. One undertakes the writing of publicity articles and notices (and assists the Secretary when he is absent by taking minutes of meetings). The other takes or obtains photos and videos of activities, maintains the Shed’s Facebook page, and is responsible for advertising items the Shed has for sale.

The Moora Community Resource Centre provides great support with photocopying and printing, helping publicise activities and events and occasionally assisting in the running of activities involving the wider community.

Our New Men’s Shed and Community Facility

Our new facility consists of a large recreation/meeting room, an office with board table and chairs plus several desks, filing cabinets and computing and printing equipment, a fully fitted out kitchen, netball association storage / change room and a LARGE work shed containing a small tool storage room (the Men’s Shed). All areas, apart from the netball storage room, are air-conditioned.

The recreation/meeting room has a large table and chairs plus a number of small coffee tables, desks and chairs, as well as a large pool/snooker/billiard table, bookcases, storage cabinets, etc.

The ‘Men’s Shed’ has a variety of large wood and metal working machines as well as a comprehensive range of hand tools. Equipment includes metal and wood lathes, a metal milling machine, sheet metal guillotine, several types of welders, wood thichnessers, planers, linisher, drill presses, routing tables, table and cut-off saws, compound mitre saws, band saws, etc. There are mobile and fixed benches for both metal and woodwork.