Campbelltown men’s shed are back hitting winners

Finally, after more than two years of trying, the Campbelltown’s men’s shed have a permanent home.

The committee received a key to the new premises, and this morning a dozen of the men rolled up their sleeves as the job begins to turn the old tennis courts near the Campbelltown Showground into a place they can indeed call a home away from home.

In October 2022, after more than a year’s effort, the men’s shed were offered a short term lease of premises on the corner of Badgally Road and Glenroy Drive, Claymore.

They cleaned up the site in the hope they would be offered a long term leases by the Hume community housing organisation.

There was to be no extension and four months later the Campbelltown men’s shed was homeless once again.

Members subsequently canvassed several premises in Campbelltown, including ones in Ruse and Kentlyn, but none proved to be viable.

In the end they turned to Campbelltown Council where they found a sympathetic ear from both the Mayor, George Greiss and deputy general manager Ben Hoyle and his staff.

A prefabricated home no longer fit for the purpose in Airds was transported to the tennis courts site late last year and put on piers.

There were a few more hoops to jump through but eventually the men’s shed treasurer Richard Parisi got the keys to their new home, which is in a great location, including just 300m from the rail station .

“There are so many people on council to thank for helping us get this far,’’ the men’s shed committee told the South West Voice this morning when we dropped in to see the site – and the happy faces of men who’ve missed having a men’s shed.

“Campbelltown Council have been great, and we are so grateful to them.’’

There is still a lot of men’s shed equipment at the Claymore premises, but the men are on to it, with runs back and forth to the tennis courts premises.

Campbelltown men’s shed, despite hardly having a  home for more than two years boasts 25 members, but they would love to see more locals join up.

There’s plenty of work to set it up so it’s fully operational, so if you’re interested, they want to hear from you.

If you’d like to join the Campbelltown men’s shed phone Richard Parisi on 0404 897 852 or email campbelltownmensshed@gmail.com