As Movember shines a spotlight on men’s mental health, a Crestmead men’s shed is quietly tackling loneliness and isolation every day of the year.
For Logan City Community Men’s Shed manager George Prouzos, the workshop isn’t just about woodworking, welding or community projects, but about giving people a place to belong.
“It’s about mental health,” Mr Prouzos said.
He said many members joined after retirement, when the sudden loss of routine and workplace friendships could leave people feeling isolated.
“They’re lost… and they don’t know what to do. So they reach out to a men’s shed and they come in, they join up and they’ve made all new friends.”
Mr Prouzos said many people arrived feeling isolated.
“We get people that are broken,” he said.
“They come in and (say) ‘I’m by myself. I’ve got no friends. I need to get out of the house.’ Next thing you know, they’re thriving. They’re happy.”
The Logan City Community Men’s Shed has also taken a different approach to membership, welcoming women alongside its male members.
“We’re a community men’s shed,” Mr Prouzos said.
“We allow women to join where others don’t.”
The organisation operates without membership fees or daily charges, a model Mr Prouzos believes removes barriers for people who need support.
“Everything here is free for the members because everything we’ve got here is donated either by the members or from members of the community,” he said.
Members spend their time working on everything from personal projects to jobs for charities and community organisations.
“We do projects for other charities and stuff which we donate to other charities,” Mr Prouzos said.
The shed also hosts monthly social outings, with members regularly gathering outside the workshop for meals and catch-ups.
“We go out every month as a group. We go out for dinners and stuff, about 30 or 40 of us,” Mr Prouzos said.
One of the Mr Prouzos’ most memorable success stories came from a man who had never picked up a tool before joining.
Mr Prouzos helped guide him through building his first project.
“I took a photo of him and the big smile on his face holding his project nearly made me cry,” he said.
For Mr Prouzos, those moments are what the shed is really about.
“The most important thing here is the people’s mental health,” he said.
At a time when conversations around men’s wellbeing are more important than ever, he believes the solution can sometimes be surprisingly simple.
“They sort out their problems just by talking,” Mr Prouzos said.
“Just by reaching out to somebody.”
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