text: International Men’s Health Week is celebrated worldwide in mid-June, and the Seymour Men’s Shed highlights the importance of taking steps to care for one’s self and mental health.
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  The Seymour Men’s Shed started in 2010 to prevent social isolation, promote positive health and wellbeing among men and enable them to reconnect with their community.
  The group has many elderly members, including army veterans and retirees.
  Peter Dover, an army veteran, said his wife pushed him to join the men’s shed.
  “I retired just before COVID hit ... six months before,” he said.
  “Of course, with the lockdown, I was at home, and she thought I needed men’s company.
  “I heard about men’s shed, so she convinced me to come down.
  “I didn’t know that I could paint Santas (that were put up around town) and all that sort of stuff.
  “With these guys’ help, you can do anything here.”
  The Men’s Shed also makes decorations for special times of the year, like Christmas.
  Mr Dover said the big thing about the men’s shed was its “mateship”.
  “I was only popping in for five minutes ... I left two hours later,” he said.
  “After we were talking and looking around ... from then on, every Monday and Thursday I come up.”
  John Garcia said the men’s shed was an integral part of the community because it allowed men to continue learning even after ending their careers.
  “We do that because we have a couple of blokes join us over the years, one bloke’s never used a power tool in his life, but he’s learning slowly,” he said.
  “We have a couple of guys just coming in for talk.”
  Mr Dover said having that kind of community to learn and communicate with was critical to men’s mental health.
  “With these guys, we turn up in the morning, and the first thing we do is have a cup of coffee and stand around outside in the cold, just chatting away a bit of what’s happened,” he said.
  “It’s a great place to come, and it’s not just for old people.”
  The men’s shed’s youngest member is 18. He comes during school holidays with his grandfather.
  “He brings his grandson on the school holidays, and we just chat,” Mr Garcia said.
  “That’s the main idea of the sheds. It’s ‘you talk’.
  “It’s to get guys out of the house, give him an interest.”
  The men’s shed provides a safe space for men, but that’s not what its members are most proud of.
  “It’s doing things for the community. That’s what we’re proud of,” Mr Dover said.
  Recently, the group created a wooden bus for the play area of the Seymour & District Community House.
  “That school bus took us three months,” Mr Garcia said.
  “We only had a picture in a plan,” Mr Dover said.
  “But it’s a combined effort, and that’s the beauty of it.”
  Paul Kelly said being a member of the men’s shed had wider benefits.
  “It’s useful to the community too when you’re retired, instead of just sitting around,” he said.
  Members of the Seymour Men’s Shed encouraged anyone interested to drop in.
  “You’ve got to get them to come down,” Mr Dover said.
  “Even if it’s only for you half an hour ... just to see what the place is about and then make a decision.”