The cover stars of the Tarrangower Times this week are the perfect exemplars of what this bumper edition of the paper is all about: celebrating the many volunteers who get things done in our small towns and caring communities.
Inside you’ll see pages and pages of photos and stories about clubs, teams and groups made up of folks who put their hand up to get involved and help out. Most of them would be happy to hear from new members and participants; often with a variety of jobs — big and small — where extra contribution is welcome. Volunteering is fun and fulfilling when you find the right group and this region has heaps to choose from, read all about them in this week’s TT [Tarrangower Times].
Mended chair: collaborative effort
At the centre of the photo, and the story, is Hilary Da Costa, who noticed that the seat near the entrance to Tarrangower Village had collapsed and was in need of repair. She approached the Men’s Shed and the Village’s (volunteer) Committee of Management, who arranged an inspection of the resting spot. Maldon Men’s Shed Secretary Barry Murphett said: “The seat was unsafe, it had rotted through,” but the team was undaunted. “I said yeah, we can fix that! Part of it was a restoration and some of the seat timbers have just been refurbished.”
Maldon Men’s Shed is thriving and has increased to around 40 members in the past 12 months, with activities involving teens all the way through to blokes over 90. They build things and fix things but as with all volunteering, there is another side to the helping hand. Volunteers also benefit while offering assistance. Barry says: “The social stuff and getting out of the house, that’s what the Men’s Shed is there for — the woodwork and the playing with the tools is just the carrot.”
Hilary is very happy with the results, saying: “It’s a delightful partnership to have, the Men’s Shed is an institution that everyone knows about. They embraced the project with enormous enthusiasm and the chair looks great.”
And as to what’s next for the Maldon Men’s Shed and Tarrangower Village (which by the way is a not-for-profit, community organisation too)? Barry said this collaborative partnership will continue for a while yet: “There are two more seats at the Tarrangower Village in the queue!”
This article appeared in Tarrangower Times, 23 May 2025.
