Trailer loads of goodwill

May 25, 2022

Stanhope Men's Shed treasurer and co-ordinator Des Crichton and Fonterra Stanhope site technical manager Frank Di Fede. Photo by Contributed

When the primary cheese plant at the Fonterra Stanhope factory was destroyed by fire in 2014, a major reconstruction project was required to fix it.

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This meant a considerable amount of materials was needed, from fresh timber to new machinery and stainless steel vats.

But while one door was closing, another was opening.

Enter Des Crichton, the treasurer and co-ordinator of Stanhope Men’s Shed, which began just down the road from the factory in 2013.

When the rebuild got under way, Fonterra made a pact with Des and the shed — retired Fonterra employees among its ranks — to donate any surplus materials from the project to the shed.

Des Crichton with the shed built from waste timber recycled from Fonterra packing crates. The shed now holds further donated timber from Fonterra. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

“That’s how it started — Fonterra needed to get rid of it, and we wanted to use it,” Des said.

“Every time they unpacked something over there, we went over with our trailer and carted it back here for use, and that’s been going on ever since.

“Parts of the shed itself were constructed using its leftover materials, as were some of the sheds we built to store things in.

“The partnership has been continuously fruitful since then, with Fonterra sending 50 large trailer loads of materials each year our way.”

The close friendship between the two parties led to the local Men’s Shed receiving the 2019 Australian Men’s Shed Association Outstanding Recycling/Upcycling Activity Award.

Ted Warren works on restoring an old rocking chair. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

Des said it was a huge moment for the shed team.

Members of the shed can use the materials freely to build any number of items, which are often sold to the local community to raise funds for the group.

The funds help with the purchase of new tools and maintenance of the shed.

It also brings men in the local community together, which Des said had been life-changing.

“Loneliness is a terrible thing,” he said.

“In elderly people especially, who’ve lost their partners or friends.

“There are people in the town that you often saw wandering around, looking for something to do.

“They took some convincing to come to the shed, but once I was able to get them in, they’ve never been happier and healthier.

“I’ve seen many cases where it’s changed people’s lives — just becoming a member has really turned things around for them.

“Our relationship with Fonterra allows us to do a lot of go”od things in the community — we can give people something to do and a place that fills a gap in their life.