“Col McIntyre, one of our volunteers has been a member of the Men’s Shed for a while, helping to maintain their machinery. We began to discuss the potential of making a connection between the two groups,” explains TAD Illawarra coordinator Ken Kirwood.
When Col received a project to modify a bed, he realised he needed the help of a good joiner and took the idea to the shed’s supervisor. The project was for a young girl who has a brain tumour which affects the functioning of her left side. She bangs her head on the sides of her bed and her mother was concerned about her rolling out of bed.
“The project was really going to benefit from an expert joiner and I was able to get Lothar from the Men’s Shed on board to work under my supervision,” explains Col. “We needed to add a gated bed rail to the open side of the bed and add foam padding to the sides to protect the child’s head. This was then covered in vinyl and secured into place with hook and loop fastener and safety ties.”
