With more than 200,000 volunteer hours recorded, new national research released for Men’s Shed Week reveals ‘the ripple effect’ of how Men’s Sheds strengthen men and in turn their communities.
Men’s Shed Week, held in 2026 from September 7 to 13, celebrates the immense impact of Men’s Sheds throughout Australia. There are more than 1,300 registered Men’s and Community Sheds across Australia – that’s more than the 1,080 McDonalds chains.
And our latest survey results reveal just how impactful these sheds are being – on the shed members, but also in their wider communities.
The 234 Men’s Sheds participating in our 2026 National Impact Snapshot, representing more than 12,000 active members, collectively reported more than 200,000 volunteer hours and more than 3,300 community projects and activities in the past year. More than 2,000 community organisations and groups benefited from the work reported by participating sheds.
The rewarding sense of purpose this contribution brings to often older retired men has a huge mental health impact.
Our additional 2026 Shedder Survey found 84.5% of Shedders said their quality of life had improved since joining their shed, from 494 responses.
Among those answering questions about their experience since joining, 98.8% said they felt more connected to others, 95.5% said they were more likely to learn or share skills, and 96.2% felt more able to contribute to their community.
Behind those numbers is a simple story. A man finds somewhere he belongs, meets people, keeps his skills and experience in circulation and often learns something new along the way. In time, what he gains from the shed becomes something he can give back to another member, a young person, or an external organisation.
These relationships extend throughout local communities, including schools and preschools, aged care facilities, disability organisations, sporting clubs, veterans’ groups, councils, environmental projects, emergency services and community events.
AMSA Executive Officer David Helmers said the findings demonstrate why the impact of Men’s Sheds cannot be measured simply by what happens inside the shed.
“The story of Men’s Sheds has always started with the men, but it doesn’t end there. When a man finds mateship, purpose and a place where his skills are valued, that benefit flows through the shed and into the community around him,” he said.
“Men’s Sheds aren’t only places where men receive support. They are places where men participate and contribute, sharing skills, mentoring others, volunteering their time and putting their experience to work in ways that strengthen their communities.”
From one workbench to the next generation
At Newcastle Men’s Shed in NSW, the ripple effect can be seen through an intergenerational mentoring program that has been bringing experienced shed members together with local high school students for eight years.
More than 150 young people have participated in the program, working alongside Shedders to develop practical skills while also benefiting from their knowledge, experience and encouragement. For some participants, that experience has contributed to pathways into scholarships, trade college and apprenticeships.
Shedder Geoff Hamilton said: “The program is essentially to take youngsters that are academically floundering and to lift their morale and show them there’s other things. And excitingly out of the first 8 students I had, 2 have got apprenticeships, one’s on a trial and three have got scholarships.”
Rod Kleeman, a teacher from Wallsend Callaghan College who is a supervisor on the program said: “It’s amazing the relationship they form here with mentors, it’s very very different from the relationship they form with teachers at school.
“It’s a mutually beneficial thing, where we see the mentors get a big boost to their mental health and wellbeing and the kids leave here the best version of themselves they can possibly be.”
The program is one example of how the knowledge and experience held within a Men’s Shed can continue to have value well beyond its membership, creating opportunities for members to contribute while strengthening connections between generations and within the wider community.
Mr Helmers said this was at the heart of this year’s Men’s Shed Week theme, ‘Built on Purpose.’
“Men’s Sheds give men the space to belong, create, connect and contribute,” he said.
“That might mean making a new friend, learning a skill, teaching someone else what you know, helping with a community project or mentoring a young person.
“When you consider those everyday experiences across more than 1,300 Men’s Sheds around Australia, you begin to see the scale of the ripple effect – stronger connections, useful skills and experience staying in circulation, and thousands of men continuing to make a valuable contribution to their communities.”
Celebrating Men’s Shed Week 2026
We have been busy celebrating Men’s Shed Week with a number of events, including ShedFEST with the bipartisan Parliamentary Friendship Group of Men’s Sheds at Parliament House on September 8.
Local Shedders shared a BBQ lunch with MPs and press covering the event, and spoke of the impact their sheds had made in their lives and their communities.
Our Chairman Luke Clifton addressed the crowd about the real value of Men’s Sheds.
“A shed gives a bloke something to do, somewhere to go, and most importantly, someone to talk to. The third one is the one that saves lives,” he said.
“Nobody walks into a shed to talk about their mental health; they walk in to fix a lawnmower. But somewhere between the tools and the tea break, a bloke says the thing he has not said to anyone.”
Mr Dan Repacholi MP, who was appointed as the first Special Envoy for Men’s Health last year, also addressed attendees. He described Men’ Sheds as a place to chat, joke and learn a new skill, even for those who have never before picked up a power tool in their life.
“Men’s Sheds are so important to Australia,” he said.