Have you ever had a burning desire to learn woodworking or carpentry skills? Or perhaps you’ve got a beloved family heirloom that you’ve always wanted restored? The Armidale Lions Community Workshop might just be the answer you need to get that project over the line.
Every Wednesday morning from 9am in the old Bird Pavillion at the Armidale Showgrounds, members of the Armidale Lions Club open the doors to their Community Workshop.
Shane Chaffey, president for the Armidale Lions Club, said that the workshop has been a part of the community in some capacity for over 10 years.
“Originally it was an initiative by Armidale Care for Seniors but the funding from the government disappeared,” he said.
“Ken Peter and Brian Ferris were still running the workshop and they asked if we’d be interested in taking it on – We acquired the complete workshop and decided to start the Community Workshop initiative.”
The official launch date of the workshop happened in October 2021 and since then, Mr Ferris and Mr Peter, who are both fully qualified carpenters, have been there every Wednesday to help the community with their projects.
“Some people come to us with skills already and some have none at all but that’s ok because Brian and Ken are always more than happy to help out,” said Mr Chaffey.
The projects that have graced the workshop so far are widely varied.
“Ken works with a couple of home school groups, but then we’ve also had some bookcases built, some old furniture restored and we’ve even got a lady who does window refurbishment come in regularly,” said Mr Chaffey.
One of the most unique items they’ve had so far was an antique corn husker from Victoria.
“The man who owned it said it had been from his wife’s family but had just been sitting outside in the weather and he wanted to know if we could restore it for him, and of course we said yes for a small fee,” said Mr Chaffey.
“A few days later this thing turned up in a box and we were just thinking ‘wow what have we got ourselves into’ – but the end finished project was so satisfying and it’s now back to full working order.”
This is just another part of the community service that the Armidale Lions club are able to offer at their workshop. So, if you’ve got something that you’d love to see restored to its former glory, but don’t see yourself as being able to complete the work yourself, the team are always happy to see what they can do.
“Absolutely – restoration jobs are something Ken and Brian are always happy to help out with,” said Mr Chaffey.
“We only charge a very small amount so if you’ve got something you’d like the guys to look at, definitely consider coming down and having a chat.”
When asked what demand for the workshop has been like over the last few years, Mr Chaffey says it’s been mixed but would love to see it grow.
“Honestly, I think people just don’t know we’re there. We often get asked if we’re part of the Men’s Shed – which no we’re not and unfortunately there isn’t one in Armidale anymore,” said Mr Chaffey.
“But if demand is there and people are interested then we’d even consider doing more days at the workshop.”
He also wants to put out an open invite to the community about volunteering with Lions.
“We still have our meeting on the 2nd and 4th Monday of every month at The Grand Hotel so if you’re interested in knowing more about what we do please come down,” said Mr Chaffey.
“We’re very much still here, plodding along making money to give back to the community.”
Other projects for the Lions Club this year have included working alongside the Garden Festival, which was a huge success for 2024, as well as busily organising the upcoming Christmas Carols, which will be held on the 4th of December.
For more information about Armidale Lions Club, or their Community Workshop, please call Shane Chaffey on 0418 672 880
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