Little hands and skilled hands shaping Anglesea street library
A former builder and a former woodwork teacher are working with design instructions from a group of pre-school children – and Anglesea’s newest feel-good community project is coming together beautifully.
Complete with unicorns.
The ‘Little Hands and Skilled Hands’ project is renewing a run-down street library structure by combining the designs and artwork of pre-school occasional care children with the cabinetry skills of Anglesea Men’s Shed members, under the caring lead of Anglesea Community House.
The finished cabinet will offer books for all ages for free use by community members.
“Basically the kids are designing it and the men’s shed members are bringing it to life,” Anglesea Community House Community Development Co-ordinator Ange Collins said.
“This project is full of so much fun and joy. Watching the kids present their designs to the Men’s Shed helpers was pure delight.
“A theme appeared to be unicorns and now we have two waist-high cut-out unicorns which will be painted by the children and go on the sides of the cabinet, and the handprints of the children and men’s shed volunteers will be across the top of the cabinet.”
“It will be positioned near their childcare, which means they are going to walk past it every day and it will be there for years and years.”
Anglesea Community House conceived the upgrading project, and an $840 community grant from Council is helping to make it happen.
The project was one of many in the spotlight during a Council community grants celebration, which saw councillors present 34 grants totalling $98,132 to community organisations.
"The five-year-olds are telling the 60-year-olds how to do it"
Anglesea Men’s Shed ‘Head of Shed’ Clive Lillywhite said members were delighted to be working on the street library.
“It’s been a fun project, we have three main members working on it and three or four assistants as required.
“The kids have told them how they want it, so the five-year-olds are telling the 60-year-olds how to do it!”
Shed members installed the original street library a decade ago but the structure has succumbed to weather exposure.
The new version will be more durable, with marine plywood and Perspex, and the kids’ paintwork.
Ange Collins said Anglesea Community House and the street library project partners appreciated the funding support.
“It helps us get this special project across the line. It’s not a lot of money but it definitely makes a big difference.”
Find out more about our Community Grants Program
Image caption: Rear, Anglesea Men's Shed members, from left, Greg Packham, Alastair Duke, Tonnie Van Der Horst, Anglesea Community House Community Development Co-ordinator Ange Collins; front, Bodhi and Zelia.