Otaki MenzShed First Year Achievements » February 2015

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Well done, Sheddies, an auspicious start to your inaugural year
Well done, Sheddies, an auspicious start to your inaugural year

Well done Otaki MenzShed for a very successful inaugural year. Thanks to the enthusiasm, skills and hard work of the members, along with the many generous donations of equipment and materials and the Council grants received, the old nurses’ home has been turned into a working shed. Internal walls have been removed and five work areas created. Strategic lighting has been installed and the interior painted. Work benches have been made and equipment such as lathes, drill presses, planers, routers, grinders and a mitre saw installed with safety guards and fail-safe electric wiring. The external walls have been painted and security and video surveillance systems installed.

During the year over 240 hours of voluntary work for the local community was also completed. The biggest job was painting the interior of the Otaki Play Centre which took 135 hours. The balance was taken up by doing jobs all over town and in the Shed for people who needed help. These jobs included household repairs and alterations, painting walls, gardening and fence repairing, as well as making a dovecote for the Oceanview Rest Home, tables for the sheltered workshop, and outside tables for the Otaki Junior and the Otaki Montessori Schools.

Jobs for ‘koha’ have included installing the new Council emergency 200litre water tanks, erecting sheds, repairing paths, internal and external painting, mending furniture and many others.

On the social side, an impressive Official Opening of the Otaki MenzShed was held in June, a great Christmas party in November along with several games afternoons and a dinner out with partners.

Projects are already lined up for 2015. These include the purchase and installation of a ducted high-efficiency dust extractor to service all the dust-producing wood working equipment. This will ensure that the highest health and safety air standards are met and our Sheddies are well protected.

Renovation of the storage shed and a donated trailer are already underway, and the roofs of both buildings are in line for painting.

Sponsors are being sought to help cover the monthly running costs of the Shed. Sponsor advertising space on the Shed, the trailer or in the monthly widely-distributed MenzShed Bulletin is available.

New members are always welcome. If you would like to check us out please drop in for a cuppa on a Tuesday or Thursday between 10 am and 4 pm.
For more information please ring Ian Futter 364 8342 or Valdis Plato 364 5636. We look forward to hearing from you.