AMSA 5th National Conference –
Ballarat October 28, 2013
Background
• The Victorian Men’s Shed Association was established in 2005
and incorporated in 2007.
• Since then there has been substantial government and
community, financial and social investment in Men’s Sheds.
• The number of Men’s Sheds in Victoria has expanded rapidly over
the past five years.
VMSA Presentation at 5th National Men's
Shed Conference, Ballarat October 2013
Who we are …
Our vision
The VMSA’s vision is:
...for all Victorian men to be happy and healthy contributors within their local
community
Our mission
The VMSA’s mission is:
...to provide a forum for Victorian sheds to network, exchange ideas, share experiences,
and promote wellbeing
Our values
The VMSA’s values are:
Diversity and inclusiveness: we welcome men from all walks of life and encourage their
fullest participation.
Respect: we respect our members, the community ownership of sheds, and our grassroots spirit and ethos.
Friendship: we enjoy conversation, camaraderie, mutual understanding and trust.
Honesty and integrity: we strive to be transparent and open in all that we do.
A supportive culture: we act collegially and cooperatively, and look to bring out the best
VMSA Presentation at 5th National Men's
in one another.
Shed Conference, Ballarat October 2013
The core activities of the VMSA
Committee are:
• promote and publicise Men’s Sheds throughout Victoria.
• provide a forum for Victorian Men’s Sheds to exchange ideas, share
experiences, network and find support.
• represent Men’s Sheds to Governments, Non Government
Organisations (NGOs), and Funding sources
• provide start up information and advice for new Men’s Sheds
such as training, OH&S, funding, insurance
• provide a line of communication between individual Men’s Sheds and
across different levels of government
• work with the Australian Men’s Shed Association to represent the
interests of Victorian Sheds
VMSA Presentation at 5th National Men's
Shed Conference, Ballarat October 2013
• The VMSA committee reports that it has struggled to keep pace
with the rapid growth of Sheds and demands for advice, support and
leadership.
• The volunteer effort required to meet current levels of demand from
the Shed community is unsustainable.
• VMSA Committee members are representative of the Shed
community and do an excellent job, however
• VMSA recognises that it does not have the full range of skills and
resources to meet the expectations of Men’s Sheds.
Underpinning this business plan we acknowledged that: The wider
Men’s Shed ‘movement’ is characterised by its grass-roots ethos,
volunteerism, and collaborative approach. It is critical that these
aspects be maintained and strengthened.
VMSA Presentation at 5th National Men's
Shed Conference, Ballarat October 2013
What we did…2013
Cube Management Solutions was engaged to consult with the VMSA committee,
Sheds and stakeholders, and develop a three-year business plan.
The focus was to:
• Ascertain the skills and capabilities required of the VMSA committee
• Understand the administrative and corporate support needed to continue to
support local Sheds.
• Identify innovative, low-cost approaches to supporting Sheds across Victoria.
The report provided:
A comprehensive overview of the consultations and recommendations.
It was used as the basis for the VMSA Business Plan which was developed in
consultation with the VMSA committee during June/July 2013.
The Business Plan now provides guidance to the VMSA committee on a range of
operational and strategic matters.
VMSA Presentation at 5th National Men's
Shed Conference, Ballarat October 2013
How was it done?
• Cube conducted 24 one-on-one interviews over February, March and April with
members and key stakeholders.
• Cube administered an online survey over April, garnering 308 responses.
• Cube consulted with approximately 60 Shedders and stakeholders across four
regional forums in April.
• Cube conducted follow-up telephone interviews with VMSA committee
members in late April and May.
VMSA Presentation at 5th National Men's
Shed Conference, Ballarat October 2013
What did we find out?
As expected, resourcing and sustainability was a fundamental concern among
those consulted:
Administrative or Executive Officer support (either part or full-time) is
increasingly critical to the organisation’s success, and a ‘force multiplier’ that
significantly increases the impact of volunteers on the committee.
Sustainability:
A need to reduce dependence on any single source of funding.
Widening the VMSA’s resource base (e.g. drawing on Shedders’ networks and
connections to secure in-kind support and sponsorships) is crucial.
Recruitment and succession planning –A key focus
Involves bringing together the right mix of people on the committee with the
right skills, for the right reasons
VMSA Presentation at 5th National Men's
Shed Conference, Ballarat October 2013
Key Findings & Insights – main issues
VMSA and its stakeholders raised a range of other ‘first-order’ issues,
including:
Managing the tension between the VMSA’s grass-roots ethos and the need
for greater professionalism.
Striking the right balance between ‘managing up’ and advocating for Sheds,
while still finding time to ‘assist down’ and respond to requests for help,
advice and resources.
Deciding between a ‘minimal’ approach of paid staff who support the
committee on a limited basis, and a ‘maximal’ approach of a proactive staff
that grasps opportunities as they arise (e.g. media engagements) and reports
to the committee as a Board.
VMSA Presentation at 5th National Men's
Shed Conference, Ballarat October 2013
Key Findings & Insights – main issues
Concerns regarding relationships and partnerships between Shedders and
stakeholders and other organisations:
Ensure Shedders are treated like men and not as ‘clients’ with deficits that
need to be rectified by professionals.
Managing strategic partnerships with state and local government (e.g. DHS
and MAV), health providers and health promotion charities (e.g. beyondblue
and Foundation 49), and the private sector.
Focusing on the quality of activities/programs offered by Sheds and the
‘quality of the experience’ for shedders, while helping sheds to manage the
risk/reward balance for project-based work where funded agency activities
risk ‘taking over’ from Shedders.
VMSA Presentation at 5th National Men's
Shed Conference, Ballarat October 2013
Key Findings & Insights – main issues
The ‘positioning’ and reputation of Sheds
Risk of Sheds and shedding being typecast as insular, ‘inward-looking place for old
blokes’ or else as disability or aged care facilities without their own sense of
ownership and identity.
Value in acknowledging the role of women in the shedding movement: both those
directly assisting and running Sheds, as well as those encouraging men to becoming
involved in the first place.
VMSA Presentation at 5th National Men's
Shed Conference, Ballarat October 2013
Key Findings & Insights – members’
consultations and priorities
Stakeholders suggested VMSA’s priorities should be communication, providing a forum
for sharing resources and information, and acting as a peak body.
Similarly, in order of priority, Shedders requested VMSA focus on:
–promoting Sheds within the Victorian community;
–providing a forum for ideas, experiences, and networking ;
–advocating to government and non-government organisations;
–providing up-to-date news;
–providing start-up information; and
–assisting with training, OHS, insurance, accessing grants and fundraising.
Some Shedders expressed confusion between VMSA and AMSA membership, and
wished for greater clarity on fees, membership and insurance.
Many thought that start-up help and advice was a critical support, despite AMSA’s
resources and activity on this matter.
VMSA Presentation at 5th National Men's
Shed Conference, Ballarat October 2013
Strategic directions
Members and stakeholders value:
Our ability to provide a forum for sharing resources and information.
Our leadership role as a peak body that represents the interests of
Victorian sheds.
In recognition of this, the VMSA Committee has prioritised three
strategic directions for the next three years.
Each strategic direction responds to the needs and priorities of our
members and partners, as established through a comprehensive
membership survey, four regional focus groups and targeted one-onone consultations, and includes a range of supporting actions and
projects:
VMSA Presentation at 5th National Men's
Shed Conference, Ballarat October 2013
1. Fostering the development and
sustainability of Men’s Sheds in Victoria:
The ongoing sustainability of Men’s Sheds in Victoria is a primary concern of the
VMSA. We aim to:
• Provide our members with relevant advice, assistance and training,
complementing the work of AMSA at the national level.
• Support Men’s Sheds and their management committees to meet the
challenges they face.
• Provide training programs to strengthen governance and leadership capability
in Sheds.
• Develop the capabilities of Sheds by sharing start-up information, brokering
advice on training, occupational health and safety, insurance, accessing grants
and fundraising.
VMSA Presentation at 5th National Men's
Shed Conference, Ballarat October 2013
2. Advocating on behalf of Sheds to government, private
and community-sector organisations:
Shedders – as well as our stakeholders – value the leadership role that VMSA
plays and its influence as a peak body. The VMSA will continue to:
• Lead and represent the interests of Victorian Men’s Sheds to government and
non governments organisation , business, and partners.
• Work with partner organisations on mutually beneficial initiatives.
• Promote the benefits of becoming involved with Men’s Sheds throughout
Victoria.
• Promote the benefits of improving the wellbeing of Victorian men.
VMSA Presentation at 5th National Men's
Shed Conference, Ballarat October 2013
3. Providing opportunities for bringing Sheds
together to share and learn:
It was established that Communication is one of the VMSA’s most valuable
activities.
The VMSA will continue to provide a point of contact to:
• Build relationships between members through our website, newsletter, face-toface visits, regional meetings and events.
• Keep members up to date with news across the state.
• Ensure Shedder’s ideas, experiences, projects and resources are communicated
across our membership.
• Give Shedders the opportunity to interact at regular state gatherings and
events.
VMSA representatives also attend regional ‘cluster’ meetings.
VMSA Presentation at 5th National Men's
Shed Conference, Ballarat October 2013
In conclusion
It is important that the VMSA remains vibrant, viable and community-focussed:
maintaining our grass-roots ethos while representing and supporting Men’s Sheds in a
professional manner.
This strategic plan:
• Outlines the direction of the VMSA over the next three years.
• Will be reviewed at least annually, with new initiatives identified, prioritised
and resourced according to the needs of the VMSA Committee and its
membership.
• Will ensure Victorian Men’s Sheds and members will directly benefit from the
work and activities that we have prioritised over the life of this plan.
Key initiatives and responses are all subject to the availability of both human
and financial resources to support the VMSA Committee’s delivery of these
strategic aims.
Funded Position: The volunteer-run VMSA Committee will continue to require
support from a funded position, which will in turn require the full support of the
VMSA Committee in delivering this Strategic Plan.
VMSA Presentation at 5th National Men's
Shed Conference, Ballarat October 2013
Where to from here?
• Adopt a new constitution
• Executive Officer recruitment process
• Annual General Meeting
Marysville/Triangle Shed November 29, 2013
VMSA Presentation at 5th National Men's
Shed Conference, Ballarat October 2013