LATEST NEWS

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Closing Date for 2021

Dear members, the men’s shed will have its last day on Saturday 18th December. There will be a shed cleanup and BBQ that day. This is the last day for 2021. Friday 17th December will be open as normal.

Reopening 2022

We will re open for a working bee on Saturday 8th January 2022. Friday 14th January will be the official first day of opening for 2022.

Look forward to seeing you all soon and in the meantime we wish you and yours well over the festive season and may you have a 2022 filled with joy and wellness.

Re-Opening Saturday 30 October

To all of you who have been waiting so long and so patiently – great news…….the shed will be re-opening this Saturday 30 October.

Entry Conditions

As advised earlier the following entry conditions will apply to the Shed and, where applicable, any Shed functions:

  • Check in using the QR code provided
  • Provide proof of full vaccination for COVID-19 to the supervisor for registration
  • Sanitise your hands using the sanitiser provided
  • Complete manual check in – this is required for our Shed records
  • Await allocation of a designated workstation
  • Masks are required to be worn at all times (until the next change in the Roadmap)

All visitors are also required to follow these procedures.

 Please be patient during the first few days as we settle into the new process.

Regards

Bob

Bob Small

President

Port Phillip Men’s Shed

Reopening Nov 5th (Superseded: now Oct 30th)

Our president Bob has sent out an email letting members know that the shed will be reopening Friday 05/11/21.

Some key things to know are:

Conditions of Entry

The following conditions will apply to entry to the Shed, or participation in any functions organised by the Shed:

  • Check in using the QR code provided
  • Proof of full vaccination for COVID-19 must be provided. We will maintain a register, so members are not required to provide proof of vaccination every time they attend the Shed.
  • Sanitise your hands using the sanitiser provided
  • Complete manual check in – this is required for our Shed records, we do not have access to any QR check in details
  • Await allocation of a designated workstation

Members and visitors are not permitted to enter the Shed if they:

  • Are experiencing any flu-like symptoms (sore throat, runny nose, persistent cough, shortness of breath, fever),
  • Have been in close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 (during the period of time in which the virus is contagious),
  • Are awaiting the results of a test for COVID-19,
  • Reside with anyone who is awaiting the results of a test for COVID-19,
  • Have returned from international or interstate (where relevant) travel and failed to observe any government requirement to quarantine for 14 days (or as specified).

Regards

Bob

Fund Raising – Support the Men’s Shed

Hi All

This month we are participating in a fund raiser in conjunction with

Grill’d South Melbourne

78 Clarendon St

SOUTH MELBOURNE, VIC, 3205

The fund raiser works like this:

Our Local Matters jars are a fixture in all of our restaurants. Each month, in every restaurant the jars promote three community groups for our guests to support.

With every burger ordered, a Local Matters token is handed over for our guests to drop into the jar of their choice.

At the end of the month $500 is split between the groups ($300 for 1st, $100 for 2nd and 3rd), with a total of $70,000 given back to the community every month.

As you can see the more votes we get the more chances we have of getting the big prize!! One of the ways you can support the Shed is to:

Get your group together for a night of burgers and token voting!

•             Less than 6 and we’ll throw in a free chips share plate

•             More than 6 and we’ll throw in a free drink or snack-size chips per person

Obviously, every vote helps.

Regards

Bob

Metal Shed Relocation

An Update by Rod Hall – PPMSA Workshop Manager

We had arranged a crane truck to move the major items (600kg lathe, 450kg mill etc) and we did the move on Thursday morning 24 June.

All went well thanks to Tim Smith, Don Laird and Barry Bevan loading and despatching at Port Melbourne and Peter King, Chris Sargood and Geoff Bentley receiving at SPUC.

The new shed. Ron preparing the floor (thanks to PPG for the two pack coating).

The crane truck and other gear was provided by Total Crane Trucks who proved to be very professional and (even better) on time. Getting the truck up the narrow driveway and up to the new shed was a bit tight but successful and we quickly had the benches and machines off and in place.

Bob Small and helpers brought the large ladder, air compressor and vacuum etc up to SPUC on Sunday which only left some steel frames to be dealt with.

The empty shed – thanks to Barry who returned later to scrub and clean the floor

Tim Smith, Chris Sargood and I returned to Port Melbourne this morning and cut up the large steel frames. We rescued some usable steel sections, and the remainder can go to recycle.

Rod and Tim cutting up the surplus steel

We now need to get the new shed operational and there are a few things to do we can move the other items currently in storage at SPUC into the shed.

  • Put the main bench back together and either plane the top flat or put some yellow tongue on top so that we have a good flat horizontal surface to work on after editing the galvanised iron sheeting.
  • Strengthen and rebuild the doors which are out of square and quite flimsy.  Before starting this, we should look closely at the front righthand corner of the shed and decide if it needs supporting.
  • Fit “whirlybird” ventilators in the roof – we’ve got two and a nibbler to cut the hole so this should be fairly straightforward.
  • Make a small flat paved area in front of the doors to reduce the dirt etc being walked into the shed.
  • The lathe and the mill need to be set up and the lathe needs some work on the feed screw which Tim Smith and I will attend to.

We can then bring the rest of the shelving, welding gear etc in and be back in business.

I’ve attached a few photos of our recent activities and I’d just like to thank everyone who’s been able to help with the relocation to date as it’s been a very rewarding exercise and great to see how much we can achieve as a group.

Regards

Rod

Men’s Shed Lockdown Closure

Hi All

We have received the following message from the Victorian Men’s Shed Association:

All Victorian Sheds Must Close

Effective 11.59pm Tonight 27/05/2021

The Acting Premier has announced a return to Stage 4 lockdown effective as of midnight tonight. You can only leave home for one of the 5 valid reasons

ALL Sheds in Victoria, including regional Victoria MUST close from midnight tonight. At this stage the Lockdown is scheduled to run for 7 days.

The VMSA will keep you updated as we receive further information,. Whilst I’m sure this is disappointing news for all of us, we must do our bit to stay safe.

If you have any symptoms, or have been to an exposure site, you must get tested and isolate.

Please also consider getting vaccinated if you haven’t already.

Stay safe, stay home and stay in touch with your mates via phone, email, zoom or other means

We endorse VMSA’s recommendation to get vaccinated.

In preparation for our re-opening, if you have not already downloaded the Victorian Government QR Code App we suggest you take the opportunity to do so during the break. Once we re-open members, guests and visitors to the Shed will be required to register by:

  1. Logging on with the Victorian Government QR Code App (this data is confidential and we do not have access to any data)
  1. Recording your name, mobile number and time of entry on the registration sheet (this summary data is used when we apply for grants and funding to operate the shed and provide other services)

We will provide further information to members regarding hygiene and sanitation in the Shed once we have a definite date for re-opening.

In the meantime, we hope that you and your family stay safe and healthy as we move through these difficult times.

Regards

Bob

Bob Small

President

New Membership Applications Deferred

Unfortunately, due to limited capacity and a delay in the construction of our new carport, we will not be accepting new member applications until further notice.

Persons wishing to join the shed, who would like to be added to the current waiting list, may complete a membership application form and forward to the Membership Coordinator by email membership@ppmsa.org.au

Please do not pay any membership fees at that time.

Persons on the waiting list will be advised when membership opportunities become available and invited to complete their application process.

We are hopeful we can overcome the current restrictions and be able to welcome new members in the near future.

Regards

Bob

Bob Small

President

Port Phillip Men’s Shed

Men’s Shed Re-Opening

Following the announcement by the Victorian Government that restrictions will be lifted at 11.59pm tonight we have received notification from the Victorian Men’s Shed Association that we are permitted to re-open our sheds.

Therefore, the Dorcas Street shed will re-open at 9am on Friday 19/02/21 and regular scheduled Friday and Saturday sessions will continue.

Members are reminded of the conditions of entry that apply:

COVID 19 – Shed Access

Members and visitors are not permitted to enter the Sheds (including Port Melbourne) if they:

  • Are experiencing any flu-like symptoms (sore throat, runny nose, persistent cough, shortness of breath, fever),
  • Have been in close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 (during the period of time in which the virus is contagious),
  • Are awaiting the results of a test for COVID-19,
  • Reside with anyone who is awaiting the results of a test for COVID-19,
  • Have returned from international or interstate (where relevant) travel and failed to observe any government requirement to quarantine for 14 days.

On entry to the Shed members and visitors must:

  • Wear a fitted face mask at all times while indoors
  • Sanitise their hands using the sanitiser provide,
  • Have their temperature checked by one of the on-duty supervisors,
  • Check in using the QR code provided, manual check in is available for anyone without a smart phone – we are using the Victorian Government QR system,
  • Where practicable, practice physical distancing at all times,
  • Await allocation of a designed workstation,
  • Follow any other health and safety directions given by the supervisors on duty.

Hopefully, we will be able to continue in 2021 without any further interruptions.

Please remember to stay safe, follow the rules and respect your fellow shed member.

Re-Opening 2021 Update

Opening Sessions

The re-opening for 2021 has changed slightly, we will now re-open at 10am on Saturday 30 January, with scheduled sessions for 2021 being:

Fridays

9am to 1pm

Saturdays

10am to 4.00pm

Cleanup Thanks

Thanks to the following members who gave their time during the break to assist with the shed clean up and maintenance:

Barry Bevan, Tony Donohue, Peter Wood, Justin Gates, Roger Joyce, Peter Greenacre, John Stirling, Tim Smith, Ian Cessford, David Radtke, Peter King, Tony Mitchell, Michael Zeeng, Coral-lee Keep, Jason Curran, Chris Kennard, Dermot Avon

Special mention and thanks to Rod Hall who put together the work schedule and organised the volunteer members. It is important for the health and safety of all members that the shed be kept in a clean and tidy state at all times.

You can assist by ensuring you:

  • Returning all tools to their correct storage position after you have finished using them.
  • Sweeping up any dust, off cuts etc as you are working.
  • Using scrap timber under your material if you are drilling on a work bench.
  • Using cover sheets if you are painting – on the work benches, floors or external paving.
  • Keeping your workstation area clean.
  • Storing any personal items, work in progress in the designated storage area.
  • Wiping down your workstation with the disinfectant provided after you have finished.
  • Helping to clean the floors, equipment, machines etc at the end of each session.

Storage

Due to restricted space, we do not have unlimited storage available for members personal items. During the break the external storage area behind the shed was extended, additional shelving was installed, and the area has been weather proofed. Thanks to:

  • Rod Hall and Tim Smith who fabricated the new steel shelving at our Port Melbourne Shed and installed on site.
  • Jason Curran who built and installed the end wall and doorway.

This is the only space available for members to store personal items and items should be clearly labelled and dated.

Internal storage is not available in the workshop or front meeting room. These areas need to be kept free of any incumbrance as we will be conducting activities with other community groups during the year.

Pergola

Unfortunately, we have encountered an unforeseen delay with the construction of the new pergola and as a temporary measure we will be using a non-permanent gazebo which will provide space for our three portable work benches (six workstations). If you are working in this area, please be aware of any possible noise issues for our neighbours who are located close by. If you feel there will be an issue with noise (routers, saws etc) please ask a supervisor if you can be re-located inside the shed.

Projects

We have a backlog of community projects to be completed, so if you are interested in helping out with these please email your details to Rod ( rodhall690@gmail.com ) who will arrange to put you in contact with a project leader.

COVID 19 – Shed Access

Members and visitors are not permitted to enter the Shed (including Port Melbourne) if they:

  • Are experiencing any flu-like symptoms (sore throat, runny nose, persistent cough, shortness of breath, fever),
  • Have been in close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 (during the period of time in which the virus is contagious),
  • Are awaiting the results of a test for COVID-19,
  • Reside with anyone who is awaiting the results of a test for COVID-19,
  • Have returned from international or interstate (where relevant) travel and failed to observe any government requirement to quarantine for 14 days.

On entry to the Shed members and visitors must:

  • Sanitise their hands using the sanitiser provide,
  • Check in using the QR code provided, manual check in is available for anyone without a smart phone – we are using the Victorian Government QR system,
  • Wearing of face masks is optional,
  • Where practicable, practice physical distancing at all times,
  • Await allocation of a designed workstation,
  • Follow any other health and safety directions given by the supervisors on duty.

Supervisors

We are still looking for members to assist with supervisory duties at our sessions, if you are interested please have a chat with either Rod (0409 055 885) or Bob (0417 067 319) who are happy to explain the requirements of these roles.

Once again, please remain alert to the health and safety requirements in the shed so all members can enjoy a safe and accident free 2021.

Please free to contact me or any other Committee Members should you have any questions

Regards

Bob

Bob Small

President

Port Phillip Men’s Shed

December / January Close / Open

Clean Up Day

Saturday 19 December 9am to 1pm

Saturday 19 December will be the last day we open for 2020 and is dedicated to cleaning up the shed and storage areas. As advised earlier any personal items or materials still stored in the workshop or meeting room will either be relocated to the expanded storage area (if correctly labelled and dated) or will be disposed of. Please ensure you have labelled any items you wish to keep.

We need members to assist with the cleaning and tidying up of all areas.

We will not be having our usual sit-down BBQ this year but will be providing a BBQ brunch for members, family and friends from 11am to 1pm.

Re-Open

Saturday 16 January 2021 10am

The shed will re-open for 2021 on the above time and day. During the break there will be some changes made to the layout of the machinery and equipment in the shed and members will need to familiarise themselves with these changes.

Regular Friday sessions (9am to 1pm) and Saturday session (10am to 4pm) will recommence and are open to all members (women and men). Shed closures due to public holidays etc will be advised as they are about to occur.

Projects

Project Assistance

We currently have several interesting projects on our list and need volunteers to work on.