Meet our guest blogger, Laura Qin, a passionate volunteer and dedicated member of the Boomer Shed – our community shed for people over 50. Laura keeps us updated with insider stories, project highlights, and the magic that makes the Boomer Shed a special place.
The Boomer Shed projects from the last month are steadily progressing, with two main projects that contribute to sustainability and community well-being worthy of a special mention.
Since the Puāwai Kai planter box project began in August, the planter design has been approved for production. Puāwai Kai offers a free healthy lifestyle course for all ages, and one of the small hubs operating in Auckland has requested three planter boxes to provide additional space for participants to grow and harvest sustainable food.
Our Boomer Shed Manager, Stacey, sourced suitable timbers for our lead project volunteer’s design requirements. The timbers arrived with moderate moisture presenting a challenge for cutting, however our experienced volunteers quickly devised a workaround effortlessly solving the problem on the spot. The placement of the cuts also preserved the best of wood grains for a prominent and natural look.
Now that these timber parts have been pre-drilled at the joints, they are ready to be taken onsite for assembly. A helpful tip I have learned through this experience is to take the time to measure the longest point and then add a little extra to account for any margin of error.
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Our very own CRC (Community Recycling Center) also benefited an upgrade with the help of the Boomer Shed. Since the launch of the CRC, the incredible flow of donations from our community has provided a remarkable opportunity to ensure the sustainability of existing resources. With the increasing amount of donations, our once sturdy steel garment racks needed a stability enhancement to prevent accidental topples.
Our experienced Boomer Shed members came up with an ingenious design by affixing plywood frames along each of the two vertical side bars. This not only added stability but also refreshed the simplistic design with a more natural appearance.
Once again, our team of dedicated volunteers have demonstrated that woodwork is still in fashion and their creations have contributed to our “zero waste” vision through the use of recycled wood.
Does the Boomer Shed sound like a place where you'd like to get involved? We would love to have you join us. Plus, if you have quality recyclable wood, please feel free to contact our centre manager Stacey for details on how you can donate.
Stay in touch for more exciting projects next month, including updates on our project for Blind Low Vision NZ and much more!