April 2023 Report

Attendance

Attendance during normal Wo(Men)Shed Tuesday and Thursday sessions in April was 92. This is equivalent to 274 hours or almost 7 full time (40 hours) equivalent weeks. Fabricate was also busy working on projects in preparation for the fabric shredder arriving.

In addition to our normal MenShed sessions, members of the MenShed team were present at the Wanaka Community Workshop most days each week. Attendance totaled 39 representing some 95 hours or just over 2 full time (40 hours) equivalent weeks. This included periods supervising MINT, Kahu Youth Grounded team and Aspiring Wanderers as well as supporting the day to day operation of the Wanaka Backyard Trapping “trap library” via the drop off and pick up of traps. 

This month MenShed members:

• Briefed the Inter-agency meeting hosted by Community Link at the HUB involving a range of government & community agencies concerning the operation of the Wanaka Community Workshop.
• Briefed members of the Wanaka Death Cafe regarding a night school class to construct coffins.

Health & Safety

• This month we reported our first accident – a foreign body entered the eye of a member engaged in grinding steel. 
• First aid was given and this was followed up by visits to a doctor.
• A briefing emphasising the importance of suitable eye protection and looking out for each other was subsequently given to all members.

Electric safety tagging

The mandatory electrical safety checks for many of our electrical tools and equipment have expired. 

I suggest the workshop should establish a commercial relationship with a firm which visits the workshop say twice per year to check our equipment. This approach is similar to that adopted for the building safety check.

Dust extraction

Our primary dust extraction system was reviewed this month. A report on means to improve performance is expect in May.

Projects completed:

• A lilliput library for the Friends of Wanaka Library.
• A lilliput library for Wanaka Pre School
• Four Petanque scoring boards.
• Two Riddling Racks (Quartz Reef).
• Magnetic picture frames for the May MINT program.
• Two Morepork/Owl nesting boxes.
• Two display cases – ferret, stoats. (Wanaka Backyard Trapping project).
• Depot for Recycling at Mt Aspiring College (Kahu Youth project).
• Two work tables for the Workshop.
• Steel work table for the Workshop.
• Rack’s for chisels and clamps for the Workshop.
• Fabrication of kits (box’s, crates etc) for assembly.

We are currently working on the following:    

• Children’s bookshelf for Plunket.
• One work table for the Workshop.
• Lids for worm farms at Grow Wanaka.
• Four Lilliput Libraries.
• Weta Hotels for Te Kakano.
• Repair of Riddling Rack’s for the Quartz Reef vineyard Bannockburn.
• Picnic Table for Bike Wanaka.

Prospective projects include:

• “Night school” class for members of the Wanaka Death Cafe to build flat pack coffins.
• Second picnic table for Bike Wanaka.
• Install a door and window into a container used by the Wanaka Grebe Program.
• Distribution of seven “Pallet Chairs” to support the second trial of the Wanaka Community Shuttle Bus Service.
• Pallet Chairs for the Cardrona Ski Field shuttle bus service.

Events

• Hosted MINT workshop – crates & box’s with poker work drawings.
• Hosted Aspiring Wanderers (people experiencing alzheimer’s) – crates & box’s.
• Hosted Kahu Youth Grounded Team over multiple days.
• Members volunteered at Wheels at Wanaka in support of the charity status of the Wanaka Community Workshop.
• Hosted / set up for Repair Revolution – event managed by Wanaka Wastebusters.

Marketing / Communications

• Regular stories published on the web site and Facebook site – we achieved two a week. 

Donations / Grants

• Over this period the MenShed received donations of a range of timber, tools & equipment and construction hardware. This included funding which was used for the purchase of additional battery powered tools and clamps for the Riddling Rack project.
• We have identified two fund raising efforts that we are going to kick start. A major upgrade to our dust extraction system and purchasing an electrical appliance tester and training for two members.

Disposals

• A drill press which was donated and surplus to requirements was sold.