Volunteers at the Margaret River Men's Shed are busy tackling their latest project, building six Recycle Stations for the Margaret River Independent School in a bid to help educate students on recycling waste.
The stations, worth about $4000 in total, will be used to encourage students to learn the ins and outs of recycling items, including discarded cosmetic containers, shampoo bottles and other plastics.
The Shed was established just over two years ago, operating in the old Blacksmith's building at the eastern end of the Margaret River Historic precinct.
In that time, the Men's Shed has established itself as a significant community resource, with volunteers having completed a dozen projects for the community worth more than $20,000, including upgrades to the Margaret River Primary School.
Volunteers built six jarrah-topped and stackable benches, as well as a six-panel music station, featuring a bush pole structure with a washboard, a wooden xylophone, a thongophone, musical kitchen pots, stainless steel chimes and musical spanners.
The Men's Shed was also responsible for the construction of the twenty-six large wooden alphabet letters that features at the Readers and Writers Festival, each of which were decorated by local primary school students.
As well as offering an opportunity for volunteers to learn new skills, Margaret River Men's Shed chairman Terry Hutchings said it also offered valuable health benefits.
"New members are always welcome," he said.
"Any adult - male or female, skilled or not.
"Besides learning new skills in a shared and collegiate fashion, the Margaret River Men's Shed provides worthwhile help to those whose mental health and well-being could benefit from a stable, shared and contributing environment.
"All of the machinery used in the Men's Shed - from power saws, drills, bandsaws, planers and even glue guns - and some of the materials were either donated by members, local residents or by generous local businesses such as Mitre Ten and Bunnings."
For more information, contact Mr Hutchings at tkhutchings@gmail.com