Frankston Men’s Shed

When Pete retired in 2012 after working for 52 years he looked to the Frankston Men’s Shed as place to spend some time and get to know a few new blokes.

“After I retired I needed another outlet in life to keep me busy. I called up and was told about the Men’s Shed Community Kitchen which really appealed to me as I like cooking,” said Pete.

After two months as a participant Pete was asked by Men’s Shed Coordinator John Baarsma if he would like to become a Men’s Shed Volunteer and assist him in the running of the Community Kitchen. “Pete holds really good skills and gets along really well with all the guys,” said John.

Pete said that being a participant as well as a volunteer has given him an extra outlook on life. “We are people from all different walks of life here with different problems of their own. This is a great place for fellowship and interesting conversation. “You really learn a lot about other people who you might not have gotten to know outside of a Men’s Shed,” said Pete.

As a volunteer Pete is responsible for helping the participants keep on track with their weekly recipe and help them build their skills. “It’s not just cooking skills we help with, it’s also shopping, social and personal health skills. We hope that they are something the guys will take into their everyday lives,” said Pete.

The Frankston Men’s Shed Community Kitchen has been running for 9 years. They meet weekly on a Monday from 10.00am-1.00pm. They have a planning session the first week of term to decide what they will cook each week then all shop together to buy the ingredients.  After cooking the meal together they enjoy the lunch together.