I am writing to give our Local Member, Katrina Hodgkinson MP, a big thumbs up for her consideration of and involvement in, an issue far beyond her local electorate.

Katrina has been a good friend and supporter of the Men’s Shed in Yass and Sheds in other parts of her electorate as well.  However, it may be of interest to your readers that she has also gone out of her way to support the establishment of a Shed in far off Canada.

Katrina became aware earlier in the year that a Shed that is starting up in British Columbia, known as the Okanagan Men’s Shed, has been struggling for political support and traction with authorities because Sheds are not a normal part of the social or community landscape in North America.

Katrina wrote letters to a number of her MP counterparts in British Columbia giving them her views on the value of mens sheds to the men who are members and also, by extension, to their local communities. These letters appear to have borne fruit in that we have heard that the three local members she addressed her letters to have invited the Okanagan Men’s Shed to a meeting to discuss their intentions and, hopefully, this will lead to support of some kind that will assist this new Shed to become firmly established and contribute to its local community.

Well done, Katrina!

Wayne Stuart,

Yass Valley Men’s Shed