About us

Our shed

In 2018, after 3 years of searching for a building, our MSAE (Mens Shed Auckland East) group obtained the lease of a site and building at 98 Abbotts Way Remuera (in the Waiatarua reserve) from Auckland Council. 

Our Shed was officially opened in April 2018.

Shortly after taking over the site we started a 3-year renovation program. Following the completion of a development plan, MSAE members reconfigured the building layout to provide separate workshop areas and administration. Including a separate toilet, kitchen and community room area. 

The Shed is over 400m2 and is growing all the time.  We have Woodworking, Engineering and Technology workshops that are equipped with tools, machinery and equipment that can be used for a variety of small to medium-sized projects. 

Many of the original tools and machines were donated by MSAE members and the community. People had downsized their homes or their partner had passed.
We have added to this collection many brand new trade quality machines to handle the workload of the community workshop. Including many types of saws and drills, lathes and welders. Also, many specialist tools from industries overtaken by the “digital revolution”.

The woodworking shop has had an extraction system installed and is fully equipped with workbenches and tool racks. A materials storage rack has recently been installed.

The engineering shop has been configured, lined with fire-resistant material, painted and equipped with a lathe, new Mig welder, cut off saw and raw materials.

A roof ventilation system has recently been installed in the MSAE main workshop. This has improved working conditions enormously in one of the hottest summers on record.

The technology workshop is wired and equipped with computers. An electronic servicing station has been established and an education program featuring software and cellphones is underway.

Next is a handicraft workshop. Work on this will commence shortly.

Who are we?

MSAE members come from all walks of life, professional, trades and services.

The bond that unites us is that we are people with time on our hands and the need to do something meaningful with that time.

The Shed is a great place to learn new skills.  We see builders teaching engineers, engineers teaching builders, tech's teaching computers, accountants doing projects and members using the knowledge they have gained over their many years of DIY and their various occupations.

If you want to know how to do something, we probably have someone that’s done it and is prepared to share. 

We also have a growing library of technical publications that will help you do almost anything.

Hear us sing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD7U0ODdeO8

A proven formula

“Mens Sheds” were originally established by a group of women in Australia over 2 decades ago. They wanted to give their husbands something to do and somewhere to go when they retired. 

Since then the Mens Shed Concept has spread throughout the world with thousands of sheds globally.

Government and health organizations locally and internationally have recognized the value of the concept for members. They assist us in our mission by providing both financial and educational support. In Australia, many sheds get direct financial support from government. As a result many sheds there have a closed membership and a waiting list of prospective new members.

Being part of the Global Mens Shed movement (Over 2000 sheds worldwide) helps us be better at what we do while saving time wasted “reinventing the wheel”.

The New Zealand National Mens Shed has a conference every two years. Many of the local sheds send representatives to network and combine skills to grow the number of sheds in NZ, while continually improving how they benefit members and the communities they support.

MSAE Members regularly visit other NZ sheds and have visited sheds as far away as America and England.

There is a huge camaraderie amongst “sheddies” and their activities wherever they are. Walk into a shed almost anywhere and feel welcome.

Our purpose

We are non-profit and non-commercial organization. We do not compete with local businesses.

Our project program is designed to develop the resources of our shed and to assist other community organizations. Click here to learn about our projects.

So much of our lives are associated with the work we do and the people we come into contact with through our work.
On retirement, we face a vacuum with a lack of purpose and isolation from our communities.
No longer do our skills and contacts matter and by association, many people feel no longer do they.

Many couples find that after retirement, the shock of suddenly being with each other every waking (and sleeping) hour can cause friction, so the shed is a great place to escape the stresses of “underfoot syndrome”. The result of this is that women are among the most ardent supporters of Mens Sheds.

At different stages of our lives, many find they have no space to create a workshop. Downsizing from the family home or living in accommodation with no spare space. This creates a need to have access to a “community workshop” equipped with all the facilities needed for a specific project, or ongoing skill development.

Men are known to have smaller circles of friends than women. So the Shed offers opportunities to foster new friendships outside the social circles their partners establish.  One Sheddie once stated, “Ten months ago none of us knew each other, but now it feels like we all went to kindergarten together!”

Most men have learned from their culture not to talk about feelings or emotions.   Many do not take an interest in their own health and wellbeing.
They may be reluctant to talk about their emotions and that means that they usually don’t ask for help.
Probably because of this, many men are less healthy than women, drink more, take more risks and suffer more from isolation, loneliness, and depression.

Relationship breakdowns, the passing of a partner, retrenchment, early retirement from a job or the loss of children following divorce, contribute to physical or mental illness.

These are just some of the problems that men may find difficulty dealing with on their own.

Good health is based on many factors, including feeling good about yourself, being productive, contributing to your community, connecting with friends and maintaining an active body and mind.

Becoming a member of a Men’s Shed provides a safe and busy environment, where men can find many of these things in an atmosphere of old-fashioned mateship. And importantly, there is no pressure to participate, at any level.

What we do

Our MSAE Shed maintains a safe and happy environment where men are welcome to:

• work on personal projects
• just have a yarn and a cuppa
• attend barbecues and social occasions
  
• go out on-site visits
• learn new skills in on site courses and presentations
• expand their knowledge of health issues and their management
• develop new friendships and enjoy working together with like-minded individuals

Through participation, members find new friends, develop new skills and exercise abilities built up over the years.

What have we achieved

Our MSAE shed has become an ideal drop-in place for people of all ages and backgrounds to gather and work on personal or community projects

Sheddies are overcoming isolation, making new friends and enjoying the many creative opportunities provided by their Shed.

Government, Community, Charity, and Health groups have recognized the value of Men's Sheds in the community to maintain and improve mental and physical health. In response, they have provided substantial resources, including funding, to cover operating and capital expenses.

Welcome to call in

Feel free to visit us for a chat or a cup of tea. There is no pressure to join or participate. But there are many opportunities to participate on a social or practical level. Check out our "Join" page.

Contact us by email or just come into our workshop. Our opening hours are shown below.

We operate a DUTY MANAGER system so there is always someone there to welcome you and show you around.