Northland Age
  • Northland Age home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Rural
  • Opinion
  • Kaitaia weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northland Age

Kaitaia's Menzshed 'all happening now'

Northland Age
5 Oct, 2016 08:59 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Menzshed Kaitaia president Peter Orr, in his element on Saturday morning.

Menzshed Kaitaia president Peter Orr, in his element on Saturday morning.

It had taken a wee while to begin hitting its straps, but it's all happening at Kaitaia's Menzshed now.

So president Peter Orr said on Saturday. And it was only going to get busier.

Menzsheds involve men who used their skills to benefit community groups, such as Hospice, the retired and the elderly.

In Kaitaia's case they undertake furniture repairs and woodworking projects around the home.

Members' labour was provided free,with the only cost to 'customers' being materials that were not already on hand, or not supplied by the client, and a small koha.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The club had 28 people on its emailing list, with eight or 10 fully signed up, most of them retired builders or cabinet-makers.

Those who wanted to learn new skills as opposed to offering them to others were equally welcome, while donations of tools and/or materials would always be gratefully accepted.

"There must be sheds full of gear that isn't being used all over the place," Mr Orr said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He pointed to a lathe that had been idle since its owner died seven years ago, which now has pride of place.

He was particularly keen to get more hand tools and a bigger drill press.

"We're going to need a bigger shed one day," he said.

"This one [adjacent to the Toll yard on the northern edge of Kaitaia] will do for a while, but we're hoping to grow out of it."

It wasn't all about keeping noses to the grindstone though, There was a strong social element to the Menzshed movement. Membership cost a modest $20 a year, plus $2 per session to cover costs, including a cup of tea and a biscuit. The shed is open 10am to 2pm on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

The 'jobs to be done' list included completing repairs to a table, building a garden seat and a compost bin.

Mr Orr said that he hoped to expand into engineering at some point in the future.

Anyone who might have a job to offer, tools or materials to contribute, or might be interested in joining is welcome to contact him on (021) 0274-0693.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northland Age

Northland Age

Stunning art on show at Whangārei's Sculpture Northland this weekend

09 May 01:27 AM
Northland Age

Sculpture Northland images

Northland Age

Mayor backs hapū in Bay of Islands marina battle

08 May 04:35 AM

One tiny baby’s fight to survive

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northland Age

Stunning art on show at Whangārei's Sculpture Northland this weekend

Stunning art on show at Whangārei's Sculpture Northland this weekend

09 May 01:27 AM

Sculpture Northland brings 45 artists and 125 works to Whangārei Quarry Gardens.

Sculpture Northland images

Sculpture Northland images

Mayor backs hapū in Bay of Islands marina battle

Mayor backs hapū in Bay of Islands marina battle

08 May 04:35 AM
Charities face huge bills to dump 'rubbish' donations

Charities face huge bills to dump 'rubbish' donations

07 May 10:41 PM
Connected workers are safer workers 
sponsored

Connected workers are safer workers 

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northland Age e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to The Northland Age
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northland Age
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP