Four years ago, Collie locals turned up to a local barbeque, all eager to register and rally for a Men’s Shed in town. With the pandemic largely behind us, a local resident is trying again, starting from the ground up. 

Collie has become widely renowned for its pub and Tiktok-famous publican, but Teresa Webb said there’s not a lot of other options for recreation in the small town. 

“All there is out here is the pub. If you don’t drink, then where do you socialise?” Ms Webb said. 

If it gets up and running Ms Webb knows there will be plenty of interest around town, but that she has a long journey ahead of her. 

“All we have is a block of land that the council was good enough to give us for free,” Ms Webb said. 

While funding from the Australian Men’s Shed Association (AMSA) and grant money could be a viable option along the line, the logistics of attracting money without having an actual shed is proving difficult. 

“I’ve sent away to some companies to see if they’d like to donate a cement slab, and that’s going to determine what I tell the council. I can’t tell the council I want to put in a 20 foot shed when someone can only donate enough for a 10 foot shed,” Ms Webb said. 

While the pub is highly valued in Collie, a Men's Shed would fill a gap.

While interest was strong four years ago, Ms Webb is conscious that half of those people have likely come and gone from town since then. 

“There’d definitely be people interested, because it’s not just for men, it’s for women as well. Men are going to have it one day, and women are going to have it another, so it would be totally separate,” Ms Webb said. 

Ms Webb is eager to see people in the district learn the skills that make them independent from needing a contractor for small jobs that they could be doing themselves, if all they need is some guidance and access to equipment.

With getting a shed up being the biggest priority, Ms Webb has her sights set on fundraising with the town. 

“I just need a shed for the members to be able to get together at least to hold a meeting. At the moment, with what we’ve got we’ll be sitting on the grass,” she said. 

“I think I’ll start with another sign up barbeque day with a donation for a sausage sandwich or something like that.”

A donation page has been established to begin the foundations of the shed, with a goal of $4,000.