CHWS INITIATIVES
Here's what we have planned!
PLANNED ACTIVITIES
The Shed will provide a smorgasbord activities and workshops that will potentially lead to opportunities for employment, new business and further education, including
Traditional shed activities, e.g. carpentry, building, home repairs and maintenance, car and bicycle maintenance, waste upcycling, furniture restoration, upholstery.
Arts and crafts, e.g. knitting, pottery, drawing, painting, leatherwork, mosaics, jewellery making.
Health and wellbeing, e.g. yoga, dance, exercise, gardening, singing, cooking and nutrition.
Personal safety, e.g. self-defence skills.
Information and education, e.g. computer skills, legal advice, literacy and numeracy skills.
Cultural groups and workshops, e.g. English language practice; Gumbaynggirr culture, language, dance, bush food and music; immigrant and refugee social groups.
Social groups, e.g. book club, older women’s groups, writing groups.
EMPOWERING CONNECTIONS. BUILDING COMMUNITY AND SUPPORTING WOMEN.
The Shed will become an inclusive ‘social hub’ where women can gather to combat stress and social isolation, build relationships, share knowledge, and develop practical life skills in a fun and friendly atmosphere.
Women of all ages, identities, abilities and cultures will be welcomed and encouraged to act as a resource to each other through peer-group support and mentoring.
A culture of ‘trauma informed practice’ will recognise the individual needs and vulnerabilities of women with histories of domestic and family violence, cultural dispossession, and discrimination based on race, abilities, and identities.
Women living with trauma can expect to be treated with kindness and respect in a non-judgemental atmosphere while they re-build their lives, empower themselves, or simply visit to take refuge in a space that feels safe.
Enabling women in all their diversity to reach their full potential is an ambitious plan which calls for a ‘whole of community’ approach.
We are partnering with local community organisations and services to avoid duplication and enhance existing systems. The Shed will refer women to local service providers at the same time as providing a ‘soft-landing’ for women who have attended health and welfare services – in other words, they will have somewhere to go next.
Online brochures, physical noticeboards and visits from local services will facilitate connections for women to make themselves (e.g. women’s, Aboriginal-controlled, and disability support services).
We plan to offer social support to women 24 hours, 7 days per week – because the challenges of women’s everyday lives do not operate to a schedule.
PAST EVENTS
And here are some of the amazing things we've achieved with our community.
D.I.Y WORKSHOP
Basic D.I.Y skills with Penny Petridis!
Coffs Harbour Women's Shed held a successful one-day D.I.Y. workshop, in July 2023. We were lucky enough to be lead by professional female tradie, Penny Petridis.
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
Participants learnt about
The most common toolbox tools and how to use them
Different types of screws and fixings and their use
Drills & drill bits
Different types of structural timbers
3 common hardwoods
The most common power tools, power drill and impact driver and how to use them
Hands-on actvities
Measure & cut all material needed for your project using a hand saw
Construct a small woodworking project to give you hands on practise with the tools
Fix to timber, plasterboard (Gyprock) and masonry walls.
SPLENDOUR IN THE SHED
Enjoyed by no less than 2000 women in the Coffs Harbour community.
Coffs Harbour Women’s Shed Committee held a one-day ‘Splendour in the Shed’ event at Coffs Showgrounds on Sunday October 30th, 2022.
The event provided a unique opportunity to experience what such a space might look and feel like, we were inundated with women signing up for early membership, pledging to be part of such a space.
There was plenty of variety on the day including, woodwork, leather work, mosaics, knitting, sewing, a big art project, basic car maintenance, upholstery, resin work, basic carpentry, candle making, yoga, damper making and plenty more. We even had the CWS baking scones in air fryers (gasp) and giving lessons to our local M.P. Gurmesh Singh.
The enormous amount of feedback, support and requests for follow up activities after the event demonstrates the critical need for a women's only, safe space.
