April 2023 Update
The Riccarton Menzshed, an initiative of Rob Ferguson, has now been operating for more than 10 years. Although established as an outreach of St Ninian’s few St Ninian’s people have participated directly. I am now the only active member from St Ninian’s but this is not to say that our outreach objectives have not been met. Our membership has recently been reduced by ill health and death but good work continues to be done. This work has included work for the Christchurch City Council, St Albans, Wharenui and Riccarton Primary schools as well as two pre-schools. The project for the CCC was a notice board for Harrington Reserve and projects for the primary schools have included frameworks based on cardboard toy shops issued by New World a number of years ago. The schools use them as shops, Punch and Judy type shows and others things as determined by the imagination of the children. Compost bins made for Wharenui School have assisted in the growing of vegetables by the school gardening classes. Our Menzshed cut all the timber for the bins and under our supervision the children did the assembly. The pre-schools have benefited from our manufacturing a variety of wooden toys.
We commenced operations at Rannerdale but three years or so ago moved to the Middlepark Motels when Rannerdale needed the space we were using. This has been good but a larger area would be a real advantage and recently we have been able to acquire space at Riccarton Park where we have been allocated the old blacksmith shop. We are in the process of fitting this out. Being an ex blacksmith shop it had a dirt floor but a new concrete floor has been installed thanks to a grant from the Christchurch City Council. Although our move will not be completed we are to hold a public open day on Thursday 2 March and we are confident that we will attract new members to bolster our numbers and the work we can do. Once the move has been completed we will open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1.00pm to 4.00pm.
We are now a Charitable Trust and have renamed as Riccarton Park MenzShed.
Lance McKechie
The Menzshed is open to the public every Tuesday between 1 and 3pm. There will be a small annual subscription, or a cost for each visit. For further information contact Ian on 3425375. We have now moved to a new venue at Middlepark Motels, Main South Road. We are grateful to Rannerdale for making space available over the last three years, but they are now seriously short of space, so we have moved!
To find us, come up the Middlepark Motels drive to the car parking area. The shed is the large building on your left, just to the left of the motel reception office. We’re best set up for woodworking with power and hand tools. Bring a project, join in with something that is already under way, or just drop in for a look and a chat.
Spring 2017 update:
The Riccarton Menzshed has been operating for nearly two years now. Originally it was planned to locate the shed at St Ninian’s but it was not possible to find a suitable location for it. Rannerdale War Veteran’s Home in Hansons Lane came to the rescue with an offer to use what was their maintenance shed. This was already equipped with suitable machinery and although a bit on the small size met most of our requirements.
The shed operates weekly on Tuesday from 1.00pm and members do either a personal project, help with a shed project or simply come along for a chat and cuppa.
Community projects completed include a noticeboard for the Paeora Reserve, a gateway into a wild flower project adjacent to the railway line on Riccarton Road, a series of props for team games the Riccarton Community Police organised as a get to know your neighbours , wooden Christmas trees, and toy repairs for the Riccarton Toy Library. Work for the Toy Library is ongoing and we are presently making a set of baby bunks for them. We will continue helping them and others who request assistance.
The photographs below are of two of the numerous activities at the Riccarton Community day using props made at the Menzshed:
